Literary Love
by dreamoverdrive
Summary: Bookstore and College AU. She's majoring in English and he's majoring in Media Studies. He runs and she reads. 'The name is Kai.' 'Jinora.' 'Jinora,' he echoed, as if tasting the sound of it. His grin was back as he said, 'I'll be looking out for you, Jinora.'
1. Candide

Jinora loved her job. She really did.

The small, musty bookstore had become the calm in her storm. Everywhere she went it seemed like there was always something going on— hordes of people moving along the streets in stony faced disregard, screeching and steaming cars at all sides, the blaring of telephones, and the buzz of electronics.

Jinora firmly believed that all the electronics in her life generated a buzz. Cell phones, laptops, and TV screens along with just about everything else considered necessary and commonplace in the twenty first century created a undercurrent. It was a low hum of static energy pervading all life. Sometimes it became nauseating.

The buzz was abruptly cut off the second she shut the heavy oaken door of the bookstore behind her. Every time she did it she felt a blissful smile curl onto her face as she scrunched she her eyes tightly. Blessed silence.

The large warm brown shelves reached up to the ceiling. They were filled with rows and rows of books—thick books, slender books, long books, short books, square books, and all other imaginable kinds filled the place to the brim. There were faded covers that felt textured beneath her fingers as well as glossy covers that slid like silk. They were in spectrums of colors of their own haphazard rainbow. Pale blues, worn magentas, neon purples and mossy greens were a few of her favorites.

She loved them all.

Every single one was a small world with love and passion and she gobbled the pages like fine desserts. Her fingers had become efficient at flicking through novels at high speeds and she invested in expensive lip balm to take care of her frequently chewed bottom lip. You could have said that she was a bibliophile. It would be more apt to say that she was _the _bibliophile.

The small bookstore was surprisingly popular. It was located on one of the small streets that led off the main downtown drag of Republic City. Its prime location and antique appeal combined made it an unspoken must see for the tourists as well as the locals on their daily business. It was a place for the college students to buy leisure books that they knew they were never going to read and for the older generation to get their weekly fix.

She had come in every day for two weeks before the slight old man that owned the place told her that if she'd be spending so much time here he might as well give her a salary. Jinora had almost bitten her tongue by saying yes so quickly. Surrounded by the books and the low lighting from the sconces on the wall, Jinora felt safe, serene, and _present._

It was a slow Wednesday afternoon when she found herself scrawling out her essay on George Bernard Shaw in her favorite journal. She made a point of not bringing her laptop into the bookstore. The only semi-modern piece of electronic apparatus was the old-timey nonelectric cash register she had named Mr. Darcy. She intended to keep it that way.

She huffed a strand of hair out of her eyes as the scratch of her pen against paper lulled her into a meditative state of work where her thoughts outpaced her fingers as they made inky tracks. Academic papers were always more time consuming than they were labor intensive. The bell on the door jangled against the glass and she didn't even look up with her usual cheery greeting. She was in the zone and this five page paper was five hundred words from done and counting.

Light footsteps padded around on the thick carpets layered on the floor. The sound of a book opening and softly closing was all she had to gauge the new person.

Jinora was attuned to her environments meaning that she _noticed_ things. How a person breathed, how their clothes sounded against their skin, the gait of their walk. It was apparent to anyone that paid attention. It didn't make her creepy; it made her aware.

She felt a slight frown knit her brows. This person was just so… Silent. She couldn't hear the rustle of fabric of the rise and fall of breathing. It was almost enough to make her look up but she was almost done—

"Do you carry this in hardback?"

Jinora leapt about a foot of her seat with a surprised shriek. Her heart was pounding as her fingers began to quickly comb her hair back into place and her head snapped to see what idiotic person had snuck up on her and…

Oh my.

The eyes looking back at her were bright green with pale streaks of grey. They gleamed and the phrase 'laughing eyes' struck her so hard that she almost said it out loud. Oh wait, she was supposed to be saying something, but certainly not _that_.

His mouth was twisted up in a wry grin and now she'd gone from gawking at his eyes to his mouth. She quickly redirected her gaze to the book he held in his hands. Very nice hands they were, too. Obviously, no progress was being made.

She forced herself back into focus and tugged the paperback copy of _Candide _out of his grip. She couldn't help but laugh when she glanced at the cover. "Voltaire," she said appreciatively as she slid off her stool. She moved around the counter and walked past him to the bookshelves. As she did she caught a whiff of mint and coffee. She wondered if he worked in some kind of coffee house.

"It looked interesting." She glanced back at him and he was rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly, as if embarrassed to be caught with something decidedly intellectual. Well, if you could call _Candide _intellectual.

She smiled, letting her gaze wander over his mop of black hair. The sides were shaved closely while the top was tousled and thick. It was the classic douche bag hair cut but on him it was downright attractive. His jaw line was strong with high cheekbones. His skin was deeply tanned and she discounted the coffee house idea. He must do something outside. He wore threadbare blue jeans and a t-shirt for a band she had never heard of. Scruffy, but presentable.

Then she remembered that she was supposed to be working and not mathematically calculating just how attractive this boy was and hurried over to a shelf to pull out the thin volume she was looking for. She hoped she wasn't blushing when she turned around and slid past him to go back to the register.

He followed her and again she marveled at how quiet his footsteps were. It was like he was walking on air. She quickly moved behind the safety of the counter and opened the cash register, trying not to wish that she was short enough for it to hide her face.

"That would be sixteen ninety-nine," she said with what she hoped was a noncringe-worthy smile. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Feeling this flustered this soon was most definitely not ok.

He smiled back tentatively and her heart thumped as he fished the cash out of his pocket. "So are you here part time?"

"Yes," she said, forcing herself to speak slowly and coherently instead of babbling about how she got her job, why she liked it, and if he would be coming back to see her at said job. "I go to Republic City College. This helps me pay for the groceries."

He looked up at her with a bright grin as he dumped the mess of green bills on the counter. "Me too! What's your major?"

"English," she replied as she began to unfold the money with nimble fingers to focus on anything but his cardiac arrest inducing smile. "And you?"

"Media Studies. Acting, directing, and screen writing."

She looked up at him with a new curiosity. "Really? What's it like?"

He leaned forward. "It's fascinating."

She took in a sharp breath at his close proximity. And oh my goodness, his eyes really were gorgeous and _oh my goodness could she smell his toothpaste_—

"Here's your book!" she cried, shoving the volume into his chest. He stumbled back a bit looking amused and she was sure that she was flushing bright pink.

"Thank you," he replied with a lopsided grin this time. "Hey, do you have a lunch break?"

"Nope," she squeaked. Wait, did she really just turn this beautiful boy down? This beautiful boy she had spent the last ten minutes freaking out over? Was there something wrong with her? No, chided the still rational part of her. This boy was way too handsome and way too scruffy looking to be any good for her. Besides, she had a job and school and practically no time to even keep up with her to-read list so was there really time for this admittedly gorgeous boy to fit in?

He sighed, running fingers through his hair while smiling at her ruefully. "Alrighty then, I'll be heading out."

He turned and was at the door before she finally channeled the strange feeling rising up in her chest into words. "Wait," she cried.

He turned, cocking an eyebrow at her with a hint of a smile. "Yeah?"

"What's your name?" And now she was probably bright red and glowing but something about this boy was magnetic and she needed to know his name. Even if it was only to remember it on other Wednesday afternoons when she was writing another essay at another point in time.

"Kai. Yours?"

"Jinora."

"Jinora," he echoed, as if tasting the sound of it. His grin was back full-force as he said, "I'll be looking out for you, Jinora."

He walked out the door and let it swing shut with the familiar jangling of bells behind him. Jinora pressed her hands to her cheeks as she grinned wildly.


	2. Shakespeare

"Korra, I do not want to come with you."

"Of course you do. Stop lying to yourself."

Jinora glared and tucked some bangs behind her ear as she hurried along to keep up with Korra's long stride. "You know this is not my kind of thing,"

Korra rolled her eyes. "Come on, Jinora. You're plenty athletic. You do yoga like 24/7, don't you? I'm just trying to broaden your horizons."

Jinora snorted. "You know, your 'healthy' interest in my life has been driving me mad. First the party-"

"Jinora," Korra protested, her blue eyes sparkling as she grinned. "He just wanted to talk to you!"

Jinora humphed. "I have zero interest in someone who wears sports jerseys to parties and drinks copious amounts of beer."

Korra smirked wickedly. "Welcome to college."

They turned into the large hall located on the campus where a flurry of activity greeted them. Streamers were hung haphazardly from the high ceiling and booths were set up in random formations with clashing colors. Loud voices echoed in the large space and booming laugher seemed to be echoing from all sides.

Jinora resisted the urge to cover her ears, but looked around, interested despite herself. "It's not very pretty is it?"

Korra snapped her hair into a ponytail in preparation for her venture into the fray. "We're athletes. We don't do pretty unless it's a play."

Jinora rolled her eyes and followed Korra and the path she cut through the crowd of people in various t-shirts advocating sports. She swiveled her head back and forth, trying to take in all the people moving around her. They were all tanned and athletic looking with deafening voices, trying to attract the attention of the potential players.

"Korra, I don't have the time for a sport," Jinora said as she watched a soccer booth demonstrate juggling, a regretful tone in her voice.

"Mmm."

Jinora looked at Korra in surprise at the lack of a rebuttal. She followed her gaze to a lean guy with carefully gelled waves of black hair. His pale eyes were fixed on Korra and his lips were curled up into a smirk. "Korra," Jinora hissed. "Do not tell me that I was your excuse to come see him!"

"I'll see you later, Jinora," Korra muttered, her intense blue gaze never leaving the guy.

Korra began to shove through the crowd to meet him and Jinora let out a scandalized noise. She sighed as the ranks of people closed back around her. If only Korra had just asked her instead of dragging her here under the pretenses of forcing her into a intramural sport. As if Korra would have had a reason to be at a sports meet and greet. Korra already played too many sports for the school itself. Jinora would have been happy to come if she'd known the real reason; she always was a hopeless romantic.

Jinora reached up and began to twirl a free strand of her hair around her finger as she drifted through the crowd. The buzz of the people around her faded to dull noise in the back of her head as her thoughts began to wander.

What would she have for dinner tonight? Maybe she'd stop off at that little Thai restaurant and get herself a curry. She had another paper to do so a quick meal would be ideal. She'd have to call her dad tonight. She hadn't called for three days and he always started getting nervous around this time. She frowned. She missed her dad and Ikki and Meelo. Especially her mom. Maybe she could come home for one of Meelo's soccer games next week.

But first, she'd have to finish her paper. When was she going to go to the library for research? She'd better go before—

Oh my god.

Her eyes had been roaming the area in front of her when they had lit upon a familiar green gaze that looked back at her with astonishment. She felt her feet come to a complete halt and root into the hardwood floor below as she stood stock still. She quickly snapped her open mouth shut as a grin began to unfurl on his face. White teeth glinted against tan skin as he vaulted over the green booth he had been seated behind.

Ok. Two options. Run away like or talk to the very handsome boy rapidly approaching.

But if she was being honest with herself, she knew that she couldn't have run if she had tried. The same magnetism that had made her ask his name kept her rooted to the spot as he drew nearer and nearer with green eyes locked on her.

He finally shouldered through the last group of people to stand in front of her. Jinora forced her breathing to slow as she looked him over. He was wearing jeans torn at the knees and a shirt showed off his very, _very _nice arms. She gulped.

"I do not desire that we might be better strangers," he said in a casual voice as his eyes twinkled. He extended a hand to her.

Had he just opened the conversation with an altered Shakespeare line? My, did he know the way to English major's heart. She felt herself grinning before she could even send directions to her facial muscles. She reached out and took his hand. His skin was warm and rough as he enveloped her hand with his and squeezed gently.

"God ye good-morrow, gentlemen," she replied.

"How dost thou, sweet lady?" he said with an exaggerated eyebrow raise and tilting his head to the side comedically.

Jinora giggled as she felt her cheeks heat.

"Kai! What are you doing over there?"

They both jumped and their linked hands fell apart. They turned back to the group of guys standing behind the booth with their arms crossed. Several were waggling their eyebrows and others were pretending to wave daintily.

"Kai, don't you want to introduce us?" Sounds of agreement rippled through the group and Kai frowned.

He leaned down to Jinora's shoulder and whispered, his breath sending hair to tickle her ear. "When I say run, we run."

Jinora looked at him incredulously. His face was still so close and his eyes were gleaming so brightly it made her mind blank. She could see the way his eyelashes tangled together.

_Run_, he mouthed.

And she grabbed his hand and ran.

* * *

><p>They finally skidded to an ungraceful stop in one of the campus parks. They both laughed breathlessly and Jinora clutched a stitch in her side.<p>

"You're fast," she panted, giving him a reproachful look.

He smirked. "Well, you did pick me up at the cross country booth."

She scowled up at him, planting her hands on her hips. "I did no picking up of any kind."

He took a step closer. "On the contrary," he drawled, leaning down again. "Yours was a voice I could not ignore."

Jinora felt her face heat up and she whacked his arm. "I didn't say anything," she mumbled.

He grinned mischievously, causing his cheeks to dimple. "You didn't have to."

She didn't even know how to reply to that so she turned, beginning to walk down the cobblestone lane leading through the park. Leaves crunched under her feet as he fell into step beside her. Trees arched over the thin path with golden, russet, and red leaves. The sun cast slanted light through the branches to create dappled patterns. Jinora sucked in a deep, fresh breath of air and tilted her head back. It was nearly winter by now.

She felt Kai's heavy gaze on her face so she turned to look at him, quirking an eyebrow. He flushed and ran his fingers through his hair sheepishly as they continued to walk in comfortable silence. It was a rush to finally see him turning red. She'd done her fair share of lighting up.

"You know, I was going to head back to the book store next week." His eyes were fixed straight ahead.

"For another Voltaire book," Jinora asked playfully.

He shrugged and scuffed a leave under his foot. "I would have thought of a better excuse than that."

Jinora had to make sure she kept her mouth from falling open. "Aren't we forward today?"

He glanced at her out of the corner of his eyes and hid a smile, shrugging again. "I'm actually surprised you came with me just now. The way that you noped me in the bookstore, I was sure you had zero interest in talking to me at all."

Jinora looked down at her feet and watched her brown boots make their way over the grey stone. "I didn't mean to be rude."

"Oh no, don't feel bad or anything!" Jinora looked up at his earnest face. "You weren't obligated to say yes or anything. I mean, I'm glad you didn't just go because you didn't want to say no. I mean I wanted you to say yes but you didn't have—"

"Kai," Jinora interrupted. He went a little slack jawed at her use of his name and he quickly composed himself.

"Yes, Jinora," he asked, copying her use of his name.

They'd come to the end of the small pathway and they stood at the edge of a large clearing filled with benches and food vendors. The space was crowded with students and Jinora sighed at the sudden end to the walk.

She stared up at Kai, studying the way his cheekbones sloped and the rise of his eyebrows and the way his mouth was curved ever so slightly up. Butterflies rose in her stomach and she suppressed them firmly.

"I do not desire that we might be better strangers," she said carefully, already feeling the blush spread over her features. All she seemed to do around him was blush. Such forward words were hard to say but they'd leapt out of her mouth before she could hold them back. She held her breath, waiting for his reaction.

A slow grin broke out over his features and his eyes began to glow. Her heart jumped up to pound heavily in her throat. Suddenly, she just couldn't take the mess of emotion over this guy she didn't even know. She spun around on her heel and strode off into the crowd of people.

"Parting is such sweet sorrow," he called after her. She turned around to look at him while his deep voice reverberated in her chest. He had his hands cupped around his mouth from yelling and his hair was stuck up as if he'd just ran his fingers through it several times.

"I shall say goodnight till it be morrow," she shouted, finishing the line.

Then she slipped off into the crowd, one hand resting on her collarbone to feel the thumping of her heart.

* * *

><p><strong>Oh my goodness, thank you so much for the lovely reviews. They make me very very happy! More happy than I can put into words. I will definitely use the bookstore name suggestion and the coffee suggestion (or something like it) later on. I don't want to give away too much.<strong>

**Enjoy!**


	3. Tree Climbing

Kai winced and tried to focus on the trees surrounding the path instead of the ache in his legs. Every extension forward made him wince as the muscles twinged sharply. Practice had been brutal that morning and he'd only just now woken up from his post-work out crash session to amble over to his friends' dorm for video games.

He did have a paper he was supposed to be writing. And a lab for that stupid science class the college had forced him to take in order to be well-rounded.

Kai was tired. He was tired, sore, and hungry. He was angry at himself for not having bought groceries, angry at his coach for challenging him, and angry at his own laziness in general. He really did want to plant himself in that ratty swivel chair he'd got at a garage sale and grind out those assignments. It was the dull ache of his muscles, the periodic pangs in his stomach, and the frustration stemming from who even knows where that was making the prospect more and more unlikely.

Kai tilted his head back and let out a groan into the sunlit air. Kyoshi park was one of the large connecting centers of the campus that students passed through to get to dorms and their various subject halls. Trees towered over head and gnarling roots climbed out over the crumbling rust-colored brick paths.

The trees were thick enough for several people to wrap their arms around. The heavy foliage usually shrouded the whole area in a mottled pale green light that set everyone at ease. But now, as winter approached, the canopy was flaking away to leave piles of vibrant orange leaves that would soon turn to yellow, and then brown while the months crept on. Sunlight crept through, and Kai couldn't help but feel exposed in the state of mind he was in.

"Kai!"

His head snapped up and he examined the area around him. Piles of leaves. Big trees. Check and check. No living thing that voice could have belonged to.

"Kai!"

The voice sounded faraway as he swiveled his head, searching for the tell-tale drape of shadows from a hiding place.

"Kai!"

Even in the echoing volume, Kai could hear the faint hint of exasperation. He scowled. If this person wanted to play who was more fed-up, then Kai would be more than happy to oblige.

"Ok, you got me! Wise old sprit, I have seen the error of my ways. I'll head right on back and write my papers on how incredibly meddlesome and obnoxious spirits can be."

There was a pause and then, "Not nearly as obnoxious as you or your hair cut!"

Kai felt his head drift up as he finally located where the voice was coming from—above.

He had to blink a few times as the white light dominated his vision. After a few moments, the striking blue of the sky shifted into sight along with thick reaching branches with the remnants of clinging leaves that protruded out over the path. In one of the branches was—

Kai gaped when he saw the nymph-like girl perched casually on a branch. Her legs swung back and forth in the empty space below and she tilted her head, causing her brown hair to gleam as the light shifted over it. He squinted to make out her raised eyebrows and the expectant set of her mouth.

It was her.

"Are you ok?" he shouted, ignoring how stupid his question sounded when she was up there swinging her legs like she hadn't a care in the world. "Do you need help? Should I call some fire truck or something?"

"No," she called back. "Us spirits aren't afraid of heights."

Kai felt heat creep over his face when he remembered what he had yelled previously. "I didn't mean it?" She laughed and he felt a wave of relief.

This girl had dominated most of his thoughts since they'd last seen each other two days ago. He couldn't stop thinking about the brown eyes that glowed up at him, and quirked lips that repeated Shakespeare right back to him.

"Do you want to come down," he tried weakly.

There was a short pause before she replied decisively, "No."

Kai felt himself deflate. Well, it looked like he had blown this too. It wasn't much of a surprise given how poorly he tended to fare with girls. They liked his looks, they liked his pick up lines, and they liked the one time make out sessions in the back of dimly lit parties with the heavy throb of music thudding like an artificial heartbeat in their chests.

When even was the last time Kai had talked to a girl in a place where beer pong wasn't being played? Middle school?

Kai snorted at himself as he began to continue to meander along the path. He'd met this girl in a bookstore. There had been no expectations and no standards to meet. She was a person—a person with pretty brown hair and luminous eyes. And yet he'd already screwed it up.

"Hey!"

He turned and he almost had a heart attack when he saw her standing on the branch.

"Don't move!" he began to hurry back to the tree. Now he was going to responsible for this girl plummeting to an untimely death off the tree branch. "Try just to keep still and I'll call—"

"Kai."

He stopped and gulped. She used his name. Well, so did every other person he had ever met but somehow it seemed different when she used it—as clichéd as it sounded. But she was _still _in that tree and she wasn't any closer to not _dying. _

He cleared his throat, forcing himself to speak calmly so that he didn't startle her. "Yes, Jinora?"

"I said that I didn't want to come down." Her eyes sparkled with mischief. "Not that I didn't want you to come up."

Kia blinked long and slow. Was she insane? "What?"

Jinora laughed again and smiled down at him softly. At that point she could have asked him to climb a mountain.

He took a few tentative steps towards the tree and she beckoned him on. When he reached the trunk, he pressed his hands against the rough bark and yelled up, "I don't think I can climb that high!"

He'd just been in a panic about her being up that high and when she invited him to join her, he began trying to figure out how to get up there as well. Go figure.

"I'll move down some to make it easier." She crouched down and wrapped her arms around the branch before swinging herself off of it so she was dangling. Kai couldn't help but think by the end of this they would both need a hospital—him for his cardiac arrest. Her legs wrapped around the lower branch and she almost seemed to drift down to settle on the limb. She repeated the process several times till she was a short climb away from Kai.

"Alright then! Come on up."

Kai realized his mouth had gone dry. Did this girl even exist? Was he just imagining her? Was he just standing here talking to a tree?

He took in a sharp breath and tightened his grip. Real or not, he was going to get up there and find out. He leaned back with his arms locked around the trunk—he was infinitely glad she had found one of the more slender trees to climb because there was no way he could have gotten up there without a grip like this. He wrapped his sore legs around the trunk and began to pull himself with one arm reach at a time.

His practice-pained muscles screamed but he kept hauling himself up the tree till he could start using the branches as leverage. Soon, the excitement of what he was doing made him giddy and the fresh blood pumping through his system cleared away the soreness.

He tilted his head up and there was Jinora, watching him with bright eyed interest. "You're almost there!"

He grunted and kept going. He could have sworn he was almost there awhile back.

Periodically he would look up. Meeting her gaze always made his face heat and he averted his eyes while she yelled down encouragement. His hands wrapped around a branch and he stopped in surprise to examine a ridge underneath his hands. It was a small pale knoll notched into the tree. It reminded him of an eye. He'd thought that it had been fascinating when he saw it under Jinora's foot several branches ago.

He looked up incredulously. "You've been climbing!"

Now it was her turn to flush. "But just look!" Ends of brown hair swayed as she turned to look out at the view. Kai followed her gaze and _wow_.

White stone buildings of the campus glittered in the afternoon sun. The long emerald clearing at the center of Kyoshi Park was filled with milling people. The cobblestone paths wound like grey rivers in a circling pattern he had never noticed before. Kai could see no end to when the sky stopped and began. He was _in _the sky. He reached out a tentative hand and almost expected to bring back a tangible handful of blue.

A nearly soundless thump next to him made him turn. Jinora was staring out at the view pensively, massaging the knuckles on one of her hands. He took the chance to examine her. She wore a white t-shirt, black leggings, and converse. The usual college wear. But something about her seemed bright. She felt _fresh_ and new..

"I thought I was crazy when I saw you shuffling down on the path." Her eyes were fixed on him, waiting to see his reaction to her words and a corner of her lips tugged up.

"I don't shuffle."

"Hobbling?"

"No."

"Trundling?"

"No."

"Shambling?"

He tried to glare but his lips betrayed him with a smile. "Your English major is showing."

Jinora chuckled. "Promenading it is."

"You know, I thought I was the crazy one. I thought I was having hallucinations before midterms even started." He paused. "Is my hair-cut really obnoxious?"

Jinora reached out and skimmed her fingers through the top of his hair. He held his breath. "No," she finally admitted. "It's very dashing."

Kai smirked and she whacked his arm. "Hey, you never told me what your media major is like! I'm curious."

"I told you it was fascinating."

"Oh, please. You were trying to be cryptic and flirtatious."

He grinned. "Didn't it work?"

"We both know it was the Shakespeare that hooked me."

"I didn't know you were hooked at all."

A light blush radiated over her cheeks. "Answer the question," she sputtered.

Kai began to drum his fingers gently on the wood. "Well, it's fun. Very fun. Everyone in the program knows how hard it is to make it so they're all passionate about it. There's some acting, screen writing, directing, and tech stuff. I like the live theatre part the most. You get such a rush being up there on stage. I can't even describe it."

Jinora was watching him with rapt attention and he looked away sheepishly. "Do you want to be an actor?"

He shrugged. "I'm like it all. Acting, directing, lighting design, being on the stage crew. I'll take what I can get. There's a kind of… Family in working with a cast and crew. You really make connections with the people around you."

They stayed in comfortable silence for awhile while she digested his words. They stared out at the view and watched the currents of people shift over the ground below. "So do you come here often," Kai asked teasingly.

"I come here to meditate," Jinora replied, pulling her dangling legs in so they were crossed in front of her, palms facing up. She let out a slow breath. "Being up her in the sky helps me focus. It strengthens my connection to my chi."

Kai felt a little awed. If anyone had said those words to him on the ground he would have laughed in their face. But up here, surrounded by the webs of branches and watching the gentle flow of activity below, he felt connected to something deep and unfamiliar in himself as well.

Suddenly a low gurgle split the contemplative silence. Kai cringed and slapped a hand to his stomach while Jinora's eyes gleamed with amusement. She looked around in mock confusion. "How on earth could a platypusbear have gotten up here? Didn't you hear it, Kai?"

Kai frowned but his heart wasn't in it. "Har har," he said back.

The gurgle rumbled again and Jinora busted out in giggles while Kai clapped both hands over his stomach. "It's not funny," he said plaintively.

"What a noble sounding platypusbear!"

"If we were on the ground I would so be getting you back right now."

The giggles slowed and Jinora gave him a tender look. "C'mon. I have to go anyways. I have work in an hour."

Kai sighed, not quite wanting to leave the little bubble of serenity and peace just yet. He followed Jinora down (she did the whole graceful floating thing and he clung to the trunk like a rodent) till the ground was a short slide down.

The feel of solid earth beneath his feet made him sway with surprise and Jinora steadied him with one hand. "Not so fast."

He gently pulled her hands off his arm, holding them lightly so that his thumbs rested on the skin of her wrists. She glanced up at him shyly.

"When will I see you again?"

She smiled. "When do you suggest?"

"Dinner at 6. Tomorrow night at Narook's."

She looked amused but flustered by the certainty of his words. She nodded and they stood like that for another few moments till she slid her hands out of his grip.

"Bye, Kai."

"Bye, Jinora."

She wandered off along one of the paths and Kai grinned stupidly.

* * *

><p><strong>I haven't updated this in forever oops. I've been having some author insecurity (aka whenever I write something I delete it and hate it and brood over it) so this was pretty difficult to grind out. I could use a little love right now but don't feel obligated just because I'm being melodramatic.<strong>


	4. Deerbees Knees

**This will be a little confusing as different people are experiencing different things at the same time so bear with me!**

* * *

><p>Kai sighed as he rested his sticky elbows on his knees. The sun beat down painfully on the back of his neck while his eyes stared at the burnt orange red of the track below.<p>

A heavy hand whacked his back and a voice boomed, "Not bad, kid! You didn't even puke!"

Kai glared up into the wild eyes of his coach who made a grandiose gesture at the half of the team crowded around the sun-bleached trash can. The sounds of retching traveled over to him and he closed his eyes again. "I think I just might."

"No you won't! If you were going to, you would have by now."

Kai forced himself to straighten and ignored the cheerful optimism in the remark. He began to make his way gingerly over to the water station where the other half of his team was slumped against the large Gatorade coolers.

For the second time, another hand clapped his shoulder. "I can't go on," a voice wheezed heavily into his ear. "Take me with you."

Kai shrugged Bolin off his shoulders. "Yeah right, Bolin. You hit your splits every time."

The voice immediately lost its fatigue and he said happily, "Yeah, I guess I did. "

A snort came from behind them and Kai new it was Mako. No one else had the energy to be surly after practice except for him. Bolin grabbed Kai by the shoulders and steered him away from the water station and towards the small trees at the edge of the track. "Come on, Kai. It's brother bonding time!"

"No," Kai moaned.

"More like ward bonding time." Mako's words were said without any real malice and Kai knew he really didn't mind spending time with him. Sometimes, he even seemed to enjoy it.

The two brothers must have been informed of Kai's- erm- _background _by Coach Bumi when he was recruited for the team. The instant he had shown up for practice, they had flanked him like body guards. Well, Bolin had body guard intent but Mako had more of a jailer persona.

_Look, Mako! He's just like we were! _

_Yeah, that's the problem. I got my eye on you, Kid. And don't think I won't hear about it if you get up to anything at underclassman parties because- _

_Mako! You're scaring him! Come with me, Kai. I won't let the scary eyebrow guy bother you._

_Just don't let him out of your sight, Bolin. _

After awhile, Mako had warmed up to him. Besides, it was pretty awesome to get to sit next to the two captains at every post-meet dinner and ever carb-up pot luck. They were cool guys. They took him to some of their friend's parties and let him crash at their dorm if he ever got a little too inebriated to find his way back to his own. In more ways than one they had really become big brothers. They were the first family he ever had.

They flopped into the shade and rolled on their backs to stare up at the pale sky. Heat radiated up from their overworked bodies and Mako let out a long, whistling sigh.

"You up for some Bioshock tonight, Kai," he asked.

"Ye- No. No thanks."

Mako and Bolin propped themselves up to look at him strangely. "No?" Bolin asked. "We play videogames every Thursday night. It's tradition!"

Kai felt himself start sweating even more which he had believed to be impossible. "I- uh… I have a paper?"

Mako rolled his eyes. "Kai, you've been in college for the last three months. If you're going to use an excuse, at least use an original one."

Bolin gasped loudly, but his lungs were clogged with liquid from running so it just came out as strange choking. "You're ditching us," he managed as his green eyes watered either from rejection or his coughing.

"Of course not!" Kai exclaimed, eyes flicking nervously back and forth. "I just can't!"

Mako's eyes narrowed. "Hold up, Bolin, I got this."

Bolin grinned. "Criminal justice major in the house." He glanced around. "In the figurative house."

Mako ignored him and continued. "Well, he started to say yes, so that means that this is something that popped up on spur of the moment. He wouldn't go to a party instead unless it was a really great party, in which case we would have heard of it. It can't be school related because deadlines aren't spur of the moment. He would have readily said no."

Mako squinted and Kai immediately looked down to examine the grass. "Now what could be spur of the moment, non-school related, and important enough to make him skip game night?"

Bolin shrieked and they both looked at him as he shot out a disapproving finger. "Girls! He's ditching us for girls!"

Kai felt himself turn bright red as Mako and Bolin stared incredulously. "Girls?" Mako echoed. "What girls? He doesn't know any girls!"

Kai glared. "I know plenty of girls!"

"Oh you sure know girls. But you never bother to learn their names—"

"Bolin, you're embarrassing him."

Kai sent a grateful and surprised look at Mako. There was a pained nostalgic look in his eyes and Kai remembered that he had just broken up with his girlfriend. Bolin said that he had been head over heels for her but stuff had just gotten too crazy for ether of them to handle.

"He's too young for girls!"

Kai glared at Bolin. "Didn't you date that one creepy girl your freshman year?"

Mako chuckled and Bolin cringed. "How did you hear about that?!" He turned and glowered at Mako. "Have you been gossiping?"

"Not at all, my feeble little turtle duck."

Kai guffawed and Bolin opened his mouth to make a retort when a loud booming voice echoed over to them. "CAPTAINS. WHAT ARE YOU DOING OVER THERE? YOU BETTER HAUL ASS BACK OVER HERE IMMEDIATELY UNLESS YOU WANT ANOTHER SET."

All three of them leapt to their feet. Even though Kai wasn't a captain, punishment would still be equivalent if he lazed around in the shade any longer. They jogged over to where Coach Bumi was standing with his clipboard.

"Hey, what's the girl's name," Bolin wheezed. Kai pretended not to hear.

* * *

><p>Jinora slid into the hardwood booth and adjusted her dress as she settled down. She grinned at the waiter and told him she was expecting someone else to be joining her before she checked her watch.<p>

It was 5:53.

She sighed and leaned back to roll her shoulders. She'd been so jittery that she had started getting ready at 4 only to sit fidgeting for another hour before it was time to leave. She glanced around at the warm atmosphere. The steam from the cooking noodles and smell of good food made her stomach rumble.

She had just pulled out her latest novel from her handbag to pass the time when a very familiar and usually welcome voice shouted her name.

"Jinora!" She looked up with trepidation and a growing pit in her stomach to meet sparkling blue eyes. Korra flashed her large smile as she turned, resting one elbow on the bar. She gestured with a lean arm at the seat next to her. "Come sit with Asami and me! It's girl's night!"

Jinora found herself faced with two decisions— tell Korra, the relentless teaser, she was meeting a boy and deal with the scrutiny for the rest of her date, or go and join them and pretend she had come on her own.

Korra watched her expectantly as she rose from the table to make her way over to the bar. Maybe she could send Kai a warning look when he came in? When he saw her flanked by two of the most intimidating girls in the whole city he would probably get the message.

As she drew nearer, she could see Asami through the press of people. Bright green eyes smiled at her and Jinora forced a feeble smile back. The one to worry about in this situation was Asami. Korra was trusting and so was Asami to an extent, but as a business major she had a knack for knowing when people were lying to her.

Jinora sat on the stool Korra had moved off of for her. Korra patted her on the back. "I'm glad you're getting out, Jinora. You're always working or reading."

"There's nothing wrong with that," Jinora muttered.

"Don't take it to heart. Korra spent all of our freshman year dragging me out all over the city when I was supposed to be studying. Not every adventure went well."

Korra glared at Asami. "We still did well in school. We just had fun at the same time."

Jinora glanced back and forth between the long time friends. They'd met as roommates their freshman year and roomed together ever since. Now, by their senior year, they were practically joined at the hip.

A dark haired man came to them from behind the bar. His eyes drifted over them appreciatively. "Can I get you lovely ladies something to drink?"

"I'll have an Air Temple Island iced tea IBA," Asami said smoothly.

"I'll have a Bending on the Beach," Korra said.

They both looked at Jinora expectantly. "Uhmmm…" she looked around her as if hoping some strange drink name would suddenly appear to her. "I'll have the Air Temple Island one?"

"Oh man," Korra said quickly, "I forgot you just turned eighteen. You've only been of age for a few months." She turned back to the bartender. "She'll have a Deerbee's Knees."

He nodded and left them. Korra chuckled. "You never want to order what Asami is having, Jinora. The girl can hold her alcohol. Asami smirked proudly and a laugh was coaxed out of Jinora at the prospect of prim and put-together Asami out-drinking people who assumed otherwise based on her appearance.

"One time Korra and I went on a bar crawl and after the third stop I had to carry her home," Asami said with a smug grin.

Korra glowered. "Must you tell everyone that story?" She looked at Jinora. "I'd just finished water polo season and I had a break between sports. I hadn't had a drink in like four months."

Jinora giggled at the image of Asami and Korra all dressed up only for Asami to have to be the heavy lifter all the way back to the bus stop and over the campus. Neither of them had cars. She'd opened her mouth to make a jibe when she felt her gaze lift over to the door by instinct. Green eyes met hers and her panic returned full force.

_Abort_ she mouthed.

* * *

><p>"Bolin, this is wrong."<p>

"Nothing is wrong unless you think it is wrong."

"That didn't even make sense!"

"Mako," Bolin said with a glare over his shoulder. "You're interrupting the snoopy mojo with your—" he fumbled for words and finished, "Makoness. Just let it happen."

Mako let out a long sigh, knowing that if he really was opposed to this whole thing, he would have put up a much larger fuss. Hey, he wanted to see the kid's girlfriend, too. Sue him for being curious.

Bolin peeked out from behind the brick wall they were hiding behind. His head shot back behind after a few seconds and he turned to Mako, grinning. "He has no idea we're here."

Mako rolled his eyes. "Yes, I gathered that from the fact that he hasn't came over to get rid of us. What is he doing?"

"The same thing he was doing five minutes ago. Standing there obstructing the flow of customers in and out." Bolin's eyes lit up. "What if he really isn't ditching us for a girl? What if Kang's Noodlery on the west side is paying him to body block the door? What if he's earning some cash so he can buy more video games—"

"He's moving!"

Bolin jumped and shoved Mako—who had moved aside to watch around the corner during Bolin's proposal— to see Kai. The kid checked his watch and looked up at the doorway before pushing aside the flaps. He was swallowed up by the pool of light inside and Bolin gasped.

The two brothers forgot themselves, Mako in the similar feel to field work for his course and Bolin had never really known himself in the first place. They scrambled over each other the way they did when they were young to race across the street.

Mako held Bolin back right before he fell into the restaurant and sent him a sharp look. "We need to be slick, Bolin. Inconspicuous."

Bolin nodded fervently. "Got it. I'll be real smooth," he said, with a wiggle of his fingers and eyebrows.

They slid into the restaurant and soon realized that they were anything but inconspicuous.

* * *

><p>Kai showed up at Narook's at exactly 6:01 pm. He'd spent the entire hour before trying to decide if he should gel his hair flat, gel his hair up, leave his hair alone entirely, or try and style his hair without gel—by 5:55 he was about ready to shave it all off but then it was time to go. He was lucky Narook's was by his side of the campus.<p>

He stood outside, staring at the warm light creeping out from under the dark green flaps. Ornate red lettering read: Narook's Seaweed Noodlery. It was one of the ethnic little restaurants that did well in the college parts of town. It seemed like Mako and Bolin always had leftovers from here in the fridge.

Kai continued to stare, the rumble of conversation inside making him apprehensive. What if he wouldn't know what to say? Every time he ran into her, it had always been a kind of spur of the moment thing. He hadn't had time to think about his potential to become a socially awkward nightmare date that laughed at his own horrible jokes.

He checked his chunky running watch. It was 6:02. He took a deep breath, shoving all thoughts to the back of his head and brushed through the flaps.

At 6:03 pm, everything went to hell.

* * *

><p>"Bolin!"<p>

"Korra?!"

Bolin yelped and started to duck before he realized that if she had called his name it was probably too late.

"It's you," Mako cried, shoving past Bolin, eyes blazing.

Korra stood and glared. "Excuse me?"

Mako seemed at a loss for words as he waved his arms, nearly knocking a waiter over. "He's a freshman! I can't believe you'd go for—"

"What on earth are you going on about?" Asami said standing from her seat as well.

Mako's eyes bugged. "Two of you?! Is this some kind of double date thing?! Is one of his other freshman friends already here—"

"Kai," Bolin yelled, pointing out the boy trying to slink towards the exit. "Explain!"

Korra looked over at the steadily reddening boy that looked livid as well as mortified. "I've never even seen him before!" Korra exclaimed, turning back to Mako with a new fury. "And I can't believe you have the nerve to come in here and mess with girl's night after we agreed that we were going to—"

Bolin gasped sharply and everyone fell silent as his finger raised to point the same way it had that afternoon. "Jinora," he cried.

The girl who had been looking utterly bewildered until Bolin had singled her out turned red as quickly as a stoplight. Bolin banged his elbow into Mako's shoulder. "It's Jinora," he stage whispered.

Asami and Korra looked back between Kai and Jinora, their mouths forming small o's. The group stood awkwardly and as the tension drained they realized both the bar and restaurant area had gone silent in order to watch the spectacle.

Jinora jumped up from the stool and snatched her purse before speed walking over to Kai. She latched her hand over his and towed him out of the restaurant. When they broke out into the night air, cold with the absen

ce of the restaurant's heat, they stopped and stared at each other.

She gazed up nervously and he could barely meet her eyes. "That was…" he stopped, not sure exactly what it had been.

His eyes snapped back to her when he heard small, muffled giggles. She had a hand clasped over her mouth while her eyes danced. "Oh my gosh," she breathed as she began to double over with laughter.

Kai felt it rising in his chest before he was laughing too, and they were both standing outside the restaurant laughing like maniacs.

* * *

><p><strong>Don't ask me what this is because I have no idea myself. OOPS. I made the drinking age eighteen to fit my purposes and the drinks they ordered are based on real drinks but with changed names. (Don't worry I haven't sampled them. I just bothered friends that have already graduated.) Asami's is based on Long Island Iced Tea IBA, Korra's on Sex on the Beach (even though there is no bending in this AU I thought bending would be a good insertation) and Jinora's was based on the bee's knees. I tried to create a clever animal name but my brain was like hah nope deerbees it is.<strong>

**As a last note, sorry for the lack of Kainora action in here. Bringing in the Krew was just too good of an idea (in my head) to pass up.**


	5. Anytime is Teatime

"I bet I can come up with more than you."

"Um, I believe that I am the one in a major dedicated specifically to the English language?"

Kai shrugged. "I've taken some screen writing classes."

Jinora raised her eyebrows and gave him a once over. "Are you challenging the master of descriptive synonym conjuring?"

Kai's eyes twinkled. "Maybe. Maybe not."

"Well you better decide because you're about to get burned." She exaggerated the last word, wiggling her fingers at them as they wandered along the sidewalk.

He smirked. "You sure didn't strike me as the type to trash talk."

"Now you're just avoiding this." Her nose scrunched and she crossed her arms. "You've initiated the challenge and you have to follow through with it."

He let out a long sigh, suddenly a little apprehensive. Well, he couldn't embarrass himself _that _badly. It wasn't as if he didn't have a decent vocabulary, but he got the feeling this girl was a walking thesaurus.

"Lady chooses the prompt," he said with about as much bluff he could muster.

She tapped a finger to her chin in thought. "How about five minutes ago?"

"I've been trying to suppress that memory."

She giggled. "It wasn't _that _bad."

"That will be my first adjective! Bad!"

Jinora snorted at his false enthusiasm. "Dreadful."

"Is that your adjective or are you trash talking again?"

She tried to glare but she ended up having to smother a smile. "Both." She flicked her fingers impatiently. "Let's get this rolling!"

"Horrific," he said quickly.

Jinora: "Mortifying."

Kai: "Terrible."

Jinora: "Traumatic."

Kai: "Excruciating."

Jinora: "Intolerable."

Kai: "Heated."

Jinora: "Overwhelming."

Kai: "Unforgettable."

Jinora: "Memorable."

Kai: "Shocking ."

Jinora: "Scandalous."

Kai: "Outrageous."

Jinora: "Deplorable."

Kai: "Gruesome." Jinora raised a single eyebrow at that one but didn't miss a beat with her next counter.

Jinora: "Ghastly."

Kai: "Grisly."

Jinora: "Repugnant."

Kai: "Macabre."

Jinora: "Morbid."

Kai bit his lip when it was his turn again. The quick back and forth lapsed into silence as he cast his gaze around wildly for inspiration. "Gory?"

Jinora clapped in triumph. "That one doesn't even apply!"

He scowled. "Trust me. The demise of my dignity was not a very pretty sight."

A corner of Jinora's lips drew up. "I still won."

Kai stopped walking and offered her a flourishing bow complete with a tastefully extended arm and flat back. "As you have won, I grant the lady a single boon as reward."

He heard Jinora giggling and he wished he could see. He was so far bent over that the only image of the girl he could focus on was her golden pumps. "I request a de-caffeinated tea and walk back to my dorm."

Kai straightened and his back creaked. He glanced over to the late night café Jinora pointed out. The warm street lamp light reflected off the windows lit with low light from the inside. Faded and curling script read _The Jasmine Dragon._

"Request accepted." He strode over to the ornate wooden door painted green with a long dragon snaking its way around the burnished door handle. He pulled it open and was hit with the mingled scent of sweet herbs as he gestured for Jinora to enter.

The entire place was decked out in white and green. There was green trim on the walls and tapestries of detailed dragons. There were scattered tables with red candles and the check out register had a long chalkboard filled with scrunched writing. The place was empty (because any self respecting college student would be at a _bar _at eight am on a Saturday night). A dark haired boy sat drumming his fingers on the counter. He straightened when he heard the bell jingle. "Can I get you guys something?"

Jinora wandered over to the counter, her eyes fixed on the menu. "I'm not quite sure what to get just yet."

Kai moved to stand beside her. There were so many strange names. He wasn't sure if he could even pronounce one, much less order one.

"I'll have your Grape Wulong Oolong, please."

She looked at Kai and he stage whispered, "I'm a little lost."

"Is that an invitation for me to order for you?"

Now she looked positively mischievous. "I suppose," he said hesitantly.

"He'll have your Marshmallow Macaroon Herbal Tea."

Kai gaped and the cashier looked amused. "It'll be right up."

Kai found himself following Jinora over to a table. "There is absolutely nothing herbal about macaroons and marshmallows."

She slid into a chair and chuckled. "Don't ask me how they do it. Don't worry, it's delicious." She looked around the shop contemplatively. "Korra's family is friends with the family that owns this place. It's been here for generations. I get loose my leaf tea here in bulk. "

"So you're a tea person?"

Jinora nodded. "I am definitely a tea person."

And suddenly Kai was struck by how little he knew about this girl. He pursed his lips in thought. "Hey, are you up for a game?"

She blinked in surprise and replied, "Yeah, sure."

"It's a warm up game we do in Acting I. We call it backwards interview."

"How does it work?"

"It's like a clever way of asking questions. I pretend to react to something and then you have to answer what I pretended to react to."

She grinned and her teeth flashed in the low lighting as she leaned back into her seat. "Alright, shoot."

Kai planted his elbows on the table, giving her such a serious look over his clasped hands that her smile faltered. "Now, that," he said gravely, "Is a very interesting favorite color."

"I'd have to say blue is my favorite color. Sky blue," she muttered before her eyes focused on his face again. "What an exotic favorite food, my dear sir!"

"Pasta," he said with gusto. "Pre-cross country meet carb-up pasta. What a strange first memory to have."

"Hmmmm." She hummed as her eyebrows knit in concentration. "I think it may have been being up on my dad's shoulders. It felt like I was up so high but I wasn't scared at all…" Her voice faded as her eyes fogged over. "Either that or my sister being born." She started and her cheeks colored a bit at having revealed so much. "What a startling moral value to have."

He cringed. Now they were getting deep. "Mmm…" Earlier in his life he probably would have laughed at a question like that. _Morals? What morals? _But now… What was important to him now? He thought of running and then he thought of the two brothers that had taken him in. "Dedication and," he hesitated for a moment before deciding, "family."

Jinora's gaze became tender and both of them nearly fell out of their chairs when two mugs of tea were set in between them. The boy apologized profusely while they cracked up for the millionth time that night.

Finally, Kai had himself under control enough to look down into the ceramic mug. Pale pink tea steamed and small fizzling marshmallows bobbed to the surface. Kai had to suppress another bout of laughter. "You ordered me pink tea. I can't believe you ordered me pink tea."

Jinora gazed at him over the rim of her own mug. "Don't be discriminatory. That pink tea is one of my favorites."

"Maybe I should have gotten it to go so I could have used it as an accessory."

Jinora giggled and took a sip of her tea. "That wasn't even funny and here I am laughing."

Kai wiggled his eyebrows. "I'm a comical person."

Jinora took another gulp before she could laugh again.

Talking came easily to them for the next half hour. Kai's earlier date anxiety proved to be unfounded as the flow of asking and answering prevented any awkwardness that may have arisen. Jinora learned that Kai liked British musical artists, was a forced to be a morning person as a result of cross country, and had nearly majored in mechanical engineering because of his knack for figuring out how things (and people) worked. Kai learned that Jinora had about fifteen favorite authors, a mild obsession with sweaters, and a love of masterpiece mystery. Kai also decided he liked the pink tea so much that he bought large packet of it along with some disposable tea bags.

On the way back, Kai even felt brave enough to reach down and grab Jinora's hand, which was still warm from holding her mug. He snuck a look at her out of the corner of his eye and she was smiling. He couldn't help but smile, too.

* * *

><p><strong>First things first, I want to send a huge thank you to my new beta reader. She is absolutely INCREDIBLE and totally called me out on my eighth grade romance-esque sentences. is her tumblr if you guys wanna go check out her rad blog. <strong>

**I'd also like to add that the tea they drank actually exists. Teavana is a magical place my friends.**

**Sorry for the late update but I participated in Katara Week and I hadn't written anything for it until the night _before-_oops. This was kind of thrown together today but I hope that it is better than nothing. **


	6. Lights

"I can't believe that you actually did it."

"Kai, we didn't mean to—"

"No, you just accidentally followed me from my dorms to a restaurant to watch my _date_."

"Ok, yes, but we didn't mean for it to-"

Kai arched an eyebrow and Bolin broke off, looking down at his unused xbox controller in shame. "We were just curious to see who your lady friend was."

"And you," Kai cried, pointing at Mako who sat silently on the couch. "You thought I was going after your ex-girlfriend who could probably break me in half if I pissed her off—"

He sighed and shifted deeper into the cushions. "Ok, I admit that was faulty reasoning but I wasn't thinking clearly."

Kai sat down on one of the counter stools so that they had to turn and face him. "I don't know how I'm going to forgive you guys for this."

"No," cried Bolin, launching over the arm of the couch to clutch at Kai's hands. "You're our little bro, mini Mako before he turned sour—"

"_Excuse me."_

"Our little homie, K-sizzle! Just because Mako was tactless—"

"_Excuse me."_

Kai rested his knuckled n his chin, pretending to consider. "I want you guys to supply laundry quarters for a week, bring me Gatorade to practice, and buy me take-out on at least three occasions within the next seven days."

"Done."

"Most certainly not."

Kai flicked his eyes back and forth between the two brothers and Bolin spun to whack Mako with the hard plastic of his controller. "Suck it up, Mako! It's all your fault anyways—"

"Bolin, he nicked laundry quarters from us for months! Now he wants us to give them to him? We'll be walking around in clouds of our own stench—"

"It's not like you have anyone to impress at the moment!"

Mako scowled and Kai let out a long sigh as he slid off the stool to walk slowly towards the door. "I guess you gotta find a new K- Sizzle, guys."

"Fine," Mako grumped suddenly, glaring at the paused screen to avoid Kai and Bolin's wide-eyed stares. "We'll give you quarters and take out and Gatorade but you never get to use this as leverage again. You hear?"

Kai grinned. "Loud and clear."

"This is absolutely ridiculous."

"Would it kill you to be positive?"

Mako cradled the bag of noodles and soup so that nothing tipped over. He shot an irritated look at Bolin, who was jingling a handful of quarters in his hands rather obnoxiously. "He totally jipped us and you know it."

Bolin dug an elbow into Mako's arm. "And you let him jip us because you like him."

Mako opened his mouth to retort but closed it after a second. "The last time I let someone take advantage of me, it was when Korra was sick and she insisted on dumplings every night for a week."

Bolin shot Mako a concerned look as they finished their climb up the stairs and arrived on Kai's level. "Hey, you're feeling better about all that stuff, right?"

Mako shrugged. "I mean I was until I saw her at Narook's. I mean, how on earth could I have thought she was Kai's date? There was a whole restaurant full of people and I decided that she was the only possible option? That's crazy."

Bolin dug a finger into Mako's arm as he fished for Kai's spare key in his pocket. "When we get back, we're watching movies and eating ice cream till you don't have any brood left in you."

Mako made a face. "I don't need icecream or movies. And I don't _brood_."

Bolin let them into the small dorm Kai shared with another kid named Skoochy. They were pretty good friends, but Kai was never around enough to really bond with him. They had just set the bag and quarters on the table and turned to leave through the open door—

"Jinora," Bolin cried.

She stood there looking like a deer caught in headlights, her eyes flicking back and forth between the two brothers. "Uh, is Kai—"

"No, he's not," Mako said as his eyes narrowed. "And why exactly why were you coming up to his dorm?"

She flushed bright red. "Oh no! It's nothing like _that_! I was just stopping by to see if he was in." She gestured weakly down the hall. "To see if he wanted noodles."

Mako opened his mouth to ask for more details. After all, he'd dated Korra for awhile and he'd gotten to know her little cousin Jinora. The idea of her sneaking in the boys' dorms was not one he approved of. He was about to tell her so when Bolin shoved past him, sending his hip crashing into the sharp edge of the table. Mako yelped as Bolin grinned at the girl who was slowly stepping back.

"No, Kai isn't here right now. But we do know where he is!"

Jinora shook her head. "No, I'll just come back tomorrow or something—"

"Nonsense," cried Bolin. He strode forward and linked arms with Jinora, effectively making escape impossible. "We'll take you right to him!"

"Bolin, she doesn't want to—"

Bolin glared over his shoulder at Mako who was still clutching his side. "Don't be a spoil sport." He beamed back down at Jinora. "You guys deserve as much time together as possible!"

After a few moments of protest, she allowed herself to be tugged out of the dorms with Mako shambling along behind. This was not going to end well.

Kai swore as the wrench grew slippery from the sweat on his hands while he tightened the clamp.

"What's going on up there?"

Kai clenched his teeth and then growled back down, "Stop distracting me! I swear if I fall it's on your head."

There was grumbling below but Kai blocked it out. The pipes above the stage they hung lights from had been resisting their efforts to crank them down. The actors were coming in tomorrow and if they didn't have the lights set up for que to que— well, everyone would be screwed. That meant they had sent Kai, the techie with the most coordination, up on a ladder to get the light fixtures set. It also meant that he had better call whoever was in charge of his insurance policy.

He sighed with relief when he felt the light fixture's screw meet the resistance of the pipe. He gave it a few more tightening twists with the wrench before he let go to loop a safety cable through the clasp. He was just pulling out the small shutters when he heard someone bellowing his name below.

"Oh, Kai! Kai, we have someone here to see you!"

He gritted his teeth around the wire tail of the light. The Earth Queen could be down there and he wouldn't give her his attention while he was up here, who knows how many feet in the air, sweating through his shirt.

"Kai! Kai, we're not kidding!"

The yelling began to fade into background noise as his mind refocused-

"Bolin, let's go. He's busy."

He had to scrabble at the pipe for a hold as he nearly tumbled off the top ladder step. His heart pounded in his neck while adrenaline from his near-demise pumped through his veins. He let out a shuddering gasp.

"Holy shit! Kai, are you ok! Someone get a hold of that ladder!"

He ignored the yelling of the other techies as he clenched the metal. "Jinora? Is that you?!"

"Yes," she called up in a shrill voice. I'm so sorry, Kai! I didn't mean to—"

"You're fine!" He gulped, not daring to look down till the shock faded. "I'm fine!"

"Let's get someone up there to help him out!"

Kai scowled at the clamor, slowly regaining faculty of his limbs and readjusting his footing on the ladder. "As if any of you guys could get up here without breaking your necks. When was the last time you ate something other than ramen?" While techies were intellectual and artistic, not all of them were built for climbing up ladders to hang lights with both hands.

"I can get up there."

Even Kai looked down at Jinora. There was a collective **no **and she crossed her arms and jutted a hip out in a pure expression of sass. "Well he obviously needs help and none of you are able to offer it." She looked up at Kai. "Do you think I could hold the wrench for you? Maybe I could do some of the basic stuff if you explained!"

He bit his lip, studying her. While he didn't exactly want her up on one of the unstable ladders, he was willing to admit that he would need help if he had any hope of finishing. Besides, if anyone was best equipped to be up here, it was Jinora the tree climber.

"Do you think you'd be ok?"

Even from the distance between them, he could see the eye roll. "I'll be up in a second."

Kai just grabbed another of the unsecured lights hanging from the hook on his ladder. Stressing while she climbed up wouldn't do anyone any favors. He heard the screeching of the second ladder as it was hauled in and positioned next to him. There was quick thumping of feet on metal—_wasn't she moving a little too quickly—_before he sensed her alongside him.

Bright brown eyes regarded him with curiosity and amusement. "Hey there."

He couldn't help but smile. "Hey yourself. How did you even get in here?"

She cringed. "Bolin."

He turned and glared down at the ground, searching out the younger brother. "I'm going to kill him and Mako—"

Light pressure on his arm made him look back at Jinora. "You can do that later. Shouldn't we be focusing on this?"

"Hey, lovebirds! Are you even _doing_ anything up there?!"

Kai frowned, opening his mouth to yell back a retort but stopping when he saw Jinora shake her head. He sighed and held the wrench out to her.

They worked quickly together. Kai had her hold the wrench after he screwed the clamps shut on the pipe. He also had her pull open the shutters and unwind the tails while he clipped the safety cables shut. He tried not to be distracted too much by the brush of her hands against his whenever something was passed off, or the heat from her body in the muggy space when she leaned over. If anything was going to get him killed, it would be mooning over Jinora when he was around thirty feet up in the air.

When they finally finished, he wiped his brow with his forearm as he deflated with a sigh. "I'm so dead."

Jinora hummed in agreement. "You nearly were about twenty minutes ago."

"Well I just wasn't expecting…" He paused, not sure what he was trying to say. "You."

She cocked her head. "Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"

"It was a good thing! Definitely a good thing! I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't come up here."

She smiled. "Good."

A low rumble split the tired silence and she clapped hands to her stomach.

He smirked. "Now who has the platypusbear stomach?"

"Hey, I was going to ask you if you wanted to get food before Bolin and Mako dragged me on this little excursion. "I should have been fed at least an hour ago."

"I guess I'll just have to remedy that with dinner."

She pretended to sniff, putting her nose in the air. "I suppose you will."

"Are you guys done yet?!"

They both looked down at the small group of people holding the ladders steady. "Someday, we're going to have a date that we both planned. There will be no climbing and no Bolin or Mako involvement," Kai muttered.

Jinora chuckled and agreed.

* * *

><p><strong>Ok, I am a horrible human being. It has been three weeks and I am SO SORRY AGH. Life got crazy and I bailed but I will make more of an effort starting now.<strong>

**I do have an excuse because I have been writing for kainora week as well as a few other requests. I have recently set up a bad boy one shot, college move in day one shot, and my kainora week collection which I will soon post all of on here. Feel free to check those out of you are interested! And never forget that you can request something on my tumblr page, a link to which you can easily find on my author's page.**

**All of the stuff in this fic about stage lights is accurate. I used to be a theatre techie during sports off seasons (but now that I do three seasons I can't anymore which is a bummer because it's hella cool). I might come back to writing theatre stuff in awhile but I need to get some action in here to spice the story up.**

**Again, sorry about the delay.**


	7. Run

"You all should be taking your shots right about now."

Kai tore the top of his carb-up gel shot off with his teeth, grimacing as he swallowed the overly sweet goo. The thick consistency of the sugar gummed over his teeth and coated the back of his throat. He snatched a Gatorade bottle from the sports- med cart to get rid of the taste.

"Kai, what flavor did you get?"

Kai glared over at Bolin, who as captain got first pick of the best gels. "I got vanilla."

Bolin smirked and reached for a Gatorade bottle himself. "I got mocha."

"Mocha my ass—"

"Focus!" Mako snapped. He gave them both severe looks but the fact that he was sucking on the gel package like a juice box did little to help him. He finished and crumpled the empty pouch sharply while Kai and Bolin winced. "We need to get into racing mind-set. This is a big meet and we can't afford to blow it."

Kai glanced around at the clusters of tents spread out over the field at the center of the track. Runners wandered around beneath the shade in loose bibs. They were either gulping down goo, stretching, or jittering with the feeling of intense restlessness before a race. The hills of the course were visible over the parking lot that led to the track. Kai let his eyes trace over them, trying not to think about how tall they looked in the early morning sunlight and how much of a pain it would be to run uphill on soft sand. He wasn't quite sure if he was ready to get into the racing mind-set just yet.

"Let's get going."

Kai looked back at Mako who was leading their team out from under the protective cover of shade. Kai bit back a cringe and followed.

* * *

><p>"No, Jinora, this is not invasive."<p>

Jinora glared over at Korra who was casually resting her hands on the steering wheel and leaned back into the driver's seat as though she wasn't perpetrating direct manipulation in Jinora's not-so-private love life. Jinora was the opposite, hunched over a book that she couldn't focus on while the seat belt bit into her collarbone, trying not to get car sick as she went over _why _this was a bad idea over and over again.

"You literally stole Bolin's meet schedule."

Korra scowled but her eyes remained fixed on the road. "Look, Mako has that schedule memorized by now. Bolin doesn't need the schedule when he's got a walking logbook for a brother. We, on the other hand, have a better purpose for it."

Jinora glanced at the grimy, Gatorade-stained schedule stuffed in the cup holder of the car. "Are we even going to be allowed in?"

"Of course! Haven't you been to a cross country meet before?"

"No." Jinora said flatly.

Korra shot her a disapproving glance. "I went through all this trouble to get you time with your boyfriend—"

"He isn't my boy friend."

"Well then what is he? Your gentleman caller?"

Jinora bit her lip and stared out at the residential houses flashing by them. "We haven't even kissed yet."

"You guys have only had what, two dates? Dates that haven't been ruined by the infamous running brothers or yours truly? Relax, Jinora. Let things take their course."

Jinora leaned back into her seat and slid her bookmark in between the pages of her book. She snuck a look at Korra. "I feel like I'm twelve again. Remember how you always gave me advice like this before you graduated?"

Korra smiled. "Yeah. I do."

* * *

><p>Kai rolled his shoulders, bouncing on the balls of his feet a few times in an effort get some of the electric energy pulsing through his muscles to dissipate. He took slow breaths in, trying to calm his frenzied pulse rate. The race wasn't for another hour but this was always about the time he began to freak out. His body always began to tense and coil in preparation for the ordeal that it new would be waiting on the starting line.<p>

"Don't forget to stretch your calves."

Kai glanced over at Bolin who gestured at the fence they were stretching next to at the side of the track. Kai nodded and braced his arm against the sun-warmed metal and leaned forward until he felt the pull in his muscles.

"Are you nervous, Bolin?"

Bolin snorted as he leaned up beside him. "I don't do nervous. I'm Bolin, the baddest, the bestest, the beastest—"

"I'm pretty sure none of those are actual words," Mako said in a surly tone from somewhere behind with the air of someone who has heard a phrase far too many times.

"They're patented Bolin trademarks. I wouldn't expect you to understand." Mako snorted and Kai could hear the scuff of his racing flats as he shifted into a new stretch. Bolin leaned on the fence, looking over to examine Kai's face carefully. "Why? Are you feeling a little nervous?"

Kai nodded slowly, trying to avoid the piercing look. "I guess." But he wasn't guessing, because he knew exactly how the nervousness coalescing into a hard ball of lead in the pit of his stomach felt. The season was almost over by now, and yet he couldn't remember feeling this amped—not even at his first race when Mako and Bolin nearly had to drag him to the starting line. It wasn't just the familiar sense of electric anticipation rising in his chest. There was an intermingled sense of dread that he had never associated with running before.

Bolin clapped a hand on Kai's shoulder that was already moist with sweat from their warm ups. The sudden contact made him jump. "Relax, Kai. You're going to do just fine. You always do."

"Just keep a clear head," Mako interjected, standing to come and look at Kai as well. "Don't go out too fast but don't stay in your comfort zone. Every place counts."

Bolin let go of Kai's shoulder with exaggerated disgust, wiping his hands on his shorts. Kai couldn't help but feel a bit better at their encouragement and the weak attempt at humor. The advice was like clockwork by now. They gave it to him every meet and rather than becoming tedious it had given him a relaxing sense of familiarity. He was worrying for no reason. Everything was going to go well.

"Thanks, guys. I think I'm going to head to the restroom one last time."

"Don't puke up your gel shot," Bolin called after him as he jogged away from their team's little circle into the mass of people.

The crowd had grown with the impending race and the thick press of warm bodies was making it hard to breathe through the smell of sweat and sun screen. Kai shoved through the people, suddenly regretting his decision. He'd just wanted to splash some water on his face in the bathrooms but being separated from his team was only making the dread return. It was something he had learned well when working the _less desirable _jobs when he was younger—never get separated from your anchors.

He finally made it out into the open air by the locker rooms where the bathrooms were. He strode forward into the brick building, anticipating a long line inside. When he let himself in through the heavy metal door, he found the plain room that reeked of long-neglected football equipment was surprisingly empty.

There were only two guys inside. One was perched on the edge of a bench while the other was splashing water on his face by the sinks. Kai started to move forward when—

_Wait._

Whatever nervousness he'd been experiencing was washed away in a crushing flood of panic while he stood rooted to the concrete. His blood pumped in his temples painfully and it took every ounce of his willpower to stifle the quick intake of air that his lungs were screaming for.

The artfully slouched figure on the bench was dressed in a pale blue shade Kai knew too well. When the man turned, the sharpness of the eyes that were more grey than they were blue was just as cutting it had been two years ago. Razor thin lips curled into a smile.

"Hello, Kai."

And when Kai glanced over at the mirrors by the sinks, it was the reflection of Skoochy's pale face next to his own, dripping with pale pink water that looked back at him.

* * *

><p>"I don't see him."<p>

Jinora pressed a hand on Korra's shoulder and firmly pulled her down from her tip toes.

"Korra, you're acting like Ikki and Meelo at the zoo," she gritted under her breath.

Korra stuck her tongue out but refrained from looking around again. "I don't know why you aren't as excited. I'd be bouncing if I were you."

Jinora was in fact, looking around just as avidly as Korra. There was just way too much stimulus. All the people in glaring racing bib colors and the rumble of quick chatter was overwhelming her senses. She was (_really_) excited to see Kai but she was getting side tracked in the roiling mass of motion.

"I wonder where he is," she murmured under her breath, adjusting her hold on the sign she had made.

Korra slung an arm around Jinora's shoulder, steering her into the crowd. "Hey, if anyone would know where your man is, it's Mako the walking radar."

* * *

><p>"What do you mean you don't know where he is either?"<p>

Jinora and Korra stared at an obviously aggravated Mako in bemusement.

"Um, we just got here? We were coming over to wish you good luck."

Mako whirled in a full circle and the team behind him shifted uncomfortably. "This is really taking it too far. Our race is in ten minutes! When I get my hands on him—"

Bolin shoved Mako aside. "Look, what Mako is trying to say is that we lost Kai. Now if you two lovely ladies would be so kind as to help us locate the little scamp, we'd be forever indebted."

"How could you have lost a human being—"

"Korra. Help. Please."

Korra stopped at the suddenly serious tone in Bolin's voice. Her and Jinora surveyed the group of runners in front of them and realized just how thick tension was. They were bouncing on their toes and pulling their legs up in last minute stretches to try and get rid of the stress but the apprehension radiated out from them with every breath they let out into the muggy air.

Jinora bit her lip, trying to smother the sudden worry rising in her throat. "C'mon, Korra," she said, grabbing her arm and tugging her away. "They need our help. And so does Kai."

* * *

><p>The first thing Kai could think was <em>help.<em>

He stiffened under the gaze directed at him but kept his eyes fixed on Skoochy, who refused to meet his stare. He wasn't sure if he should be trying to help Skoochy, or if he should be trying to help himself, but it was the only word he was capable of understanding amid all the others that were whirling through his head.

"Hello, Shady Shin." He was proud that his voice was detached and calm but just about every other fiber of his being contradicted the coolness of his words.

"Long time, no see," the man drawled, standing slowly. "I wonder why that is."

Kai continued to examine Skoochy's face. One eye was webbed with red and the skin around it was just beginning to darken. His nose was swollen and Kai guessed that was where the blood trickling slowly down the drain had come from.

"We said our goodbyes a long time ago, didn't we?" Kai said carefully.

"Oh that's right," Shady Shin said with exaggerated enthusiasm as he snapped his fingers. The sound echoed sharply off the brick walls. "But we were in the neighborhood and we decided to drop in. We ran into a little trouble a few streets down and Skoochy here remembered that you were having your meet today. There's nothing like seeing an old _pal_."

Skoochy finally met Kai's eyes to send the clear message with solemn eyes _I did not do this. _

Kai let out a slow breath and forced himself to look at Shady Shin's smirk. He had never really liked focusing on the eyes above. They were unnervingly transparent. "I suppose there isn't. I have a race in a few minutes though. This isn't the best time to catch up."

His smirk curled up even higher despite the heavy implication in Kai's words that there would never be a good time to catch up. "I just didn't want you to think that we'd forgotten about you, Kai. None of us have forgotten about you."

A wet chill raced down Kai's back and he realized that it was icy sweat dripping from the back of his neck. The _us _made him want to tuck and run because he knew exactly who _us _meant, and it wasn't the two of them standing in front of him in the locker room.

"That's good to know."

Shady Shin nodded with a faint air of amusement. "Very."

Kai took one last glance at Skoochy, who had turned to give him a grim look.

It took every ounce of his willpower to walk out of the locker room slowly, with even and deliberate steps. The instant he was out he was running so quickly that the devil himself wouldn't have been able to catch him.

* * *

><p>Somehow Jinora had gotten separated from Korra and this was simultaneously a very good and a very bad thing.<p>

It was a good thing because if she saw Kai (_when she saw Kai because she refused to believe that she wouldn't be able to find him around here somewhere_) there would probably be a whole lot of hugging and embarrassing fussing and Jinora preferred that sort of thing to be very, very private. It was a bad thing because Jinora was suddenly lost in the press of sweaty, over-heated bodies and she didn't have an assertive Korra to forge a path for her. She let herself be jumbled along in the current, hoping that eventually she would literally bump into Kai. She scanned the tops of heads, mentally bemoaning her lack of height and all these people's ridiculously long legs when—

_That hair—_

"Kai!"

She suddenly found herself motivated to shove through the other runners with her sights set on the messy top of an undercut that was distinctly Kai's.

"Kai!"

She caught a glimpse of his face as he skirted the crowd. His eyebrows were drawn together and his features were much more pinched and strained than she had ever seen them. And was he pale or was it just the way the pale sunlight was stretching over his face?

She shoved through the last group and hurried to make it into his line of sight with her sign banging against her leg. Even when she was standing nearly right in front of him, he didn't notice her.

She found herself propelling herself forward through the last cluster people when he was close enough. She slammed into him, latching her arms around him tightly to bring his momentum to a stumbling halt. Jinora let out a sigh of relief, squeezing him before pulling back.

"Kai, what's wrong? You look so—"

She didn't get to finish because he had pulled her back into a crushing hug against his chest. He smelled like laundry detergent and sweat. It wasn't a bad smell.

He rested his chin on her hair. "Oh my God, Jinora," he whispered.

"What is it, Kai?" She'd never been to a cross country meet before but something told her that this kind of nervousness was unnatural—especially coming from Kai, who came off so easy going. Being so close to him made the transfer of stress that much more potent; she could practically feel his panic seeping into her.

"I'm just—"

"_**Final call: boys' varsity division one. Final call: boys' varsity division one."**_

They both jumped at the static voice projected over them. Jinora pulled herself away from Kai. "You have to get to the starting line! Mako is freaking out!"

Kai's face had gone slack— and she realized that he was very pale and it wasn't just the lighting. His mouth opened and his jaw worked, roiling the muscles there like he was trying to say something. Finally, he just reached out and to squeeze her hand one last time before sprinting away across the grass.

* * *

><p>When Kai finally came to a halt on the starting line, he was a complete mess. His stomach had gone from feeling cold to burning hot, his muscles felt like melting jello, and he didn't even <em>know <em>what was going on behind his temples.

Mako was yelling loudly in the background but Kai couldn't hear a word of it. He just stared at the blurry grass beneath his feet that looked far too green and he thought that maybe he was going to pass out.

Suddenly there was silence and Kai's teeth seemed to rattle in his gums as he shook with tension.

"_Runners set!"_

He bent his knee and leaned forward, his breath slowing. He watched a droplet on sweat that fell off his face tumble and splatter on the ground below.

_**Bang**_

Kai ran.

* * *

><p><strong>REMEMBER WHEN I SAID I WAS GOING TO UPDATE AT REASONABLE TIME INCREMENTS? *MANIACAL LAUGHTER*<strong>

**Yeah, sorry about that guys. If you follow me on tumblr you can see how stuff has been getting a little wild. I've been posting some more stuff there for other pairings if you're interested! The link it is on my author page. There's a lil korra-centric stuff and a few makorra drabbles. I'm gonna post the next chapter of this story NEXT WEEKEND FOR REALS, MAN.**

**Cross country season is coming to an end for me out here, so I thought it would be a crime to not at least post something about them being at a meet.**


	8. Race

The gun went off and the bodies on the starting line surged forward. There was an incredible synergy in the explosive moment as all the runners leapt and strained forward with the same instinctive jolt and primal desire to be _first_. They were united by the same goal, poised in the same moment of anticipation. The field resonated under the power of their first stride and shuddered along with their first gasp of air in.

Kai's limbs moved sharply at the sudden relief in the ability to run. The thrill of panic in his veins pumped through his system, making his legs pound against the hard-packed ground with greater ferocity than they ever had at the start of a race. The thick press of hot bodies rushing forward strained the remnants of his self-control. When elbows were thrust into the sides of his ribcage and ragged breaths sounded a bit too close, he elbowed back.

He never started off at this pace, but there was no way he could have physically forced his body to slow down. He drew alongside the upper part of the pack just as thundering footsteps began to even out. The runners started to disperse into their shifting packs and he locked on the jostling bodies of the third group that usually moved _far _faster than him. The part of his mind not overcome with the adrenaline haze screamed warnings of glycogen depletion sometime within the first ten minutes and cramps around the third mile.

He couldn't bring himself to care.

When his mind drifted back to what was waiting behind him, he decided that he would be able to keep the pace up for hours to come.

He let out a hissing breath through clenched teeth, denying himself the luxury of gasping in air to fill the aching debt steadily developing in his lungs. He had to keep control. He couldn't afford to blow this meet and having a panic attack in the first two minutes of it _definitely _wouldn't do him any favors. Even back then—when he was at the stage he'd spent the last few months of college trying to forget—running had been about control. Hell, it was the only thing that he had been_ able _tocontrol. When he ran it was him who dictated the pace, the pain, and the power. It took a lot of effort to remind himself of that now. _You are in control, Kai. You are in control. _

He tried to ground himself by remembering the course and planning out his race. The trail ran around a back section of the school and through a dusty copse of trees. Around the halfway point it began to wind around the base of a hill and corkscrew to the top of it in what the team had called The Switchbacks of Death. The finish was a downhill nosedive and a hundred meter loop back to the starting point.

It was a struggle forcing himself to focus by zeroing in on the glare of the neon racing bibs and group of bodies that cast up swarms of dust before him on the trail. The thrill hadn't faded from his body and he figured that it was now or never if he wanted to use it. And yet the basic rules of racing strategy that he'd been taught till he was capable of spitting the letters out even in the most hellish moments of the race—_do not go out too fast—_resurfaced_._

Although it felt more like an escape than a race so Kai figured the adrenaline would carry him farther than it should. Part of him whispered that he was being reckless, that he wasn't thinking, that he was acting the way he would have when—

Kai squashed the voice and burned it away with the fire from his muscles.

* * *

><p>It was about the beginning of the second mile that Kai caught sight of Mako. The bobbing dark hair and red uniform set him apart from the pack of four that he was cruising in. Kai felt the sudden temptation—and it was absolutely <em>mad <em>because he now knew that he was going way too fast if he was this close to the _senior captain_—to catch up. He kicked it into a higher gear despite the countless places on his legs that revolted in intense protest at the change. His hamstrings burned and the tendons running up and down the sides of his knees stretched painfully while he seethed with hissing breaths, forcing his body into submission. The other runner he'd stuck with for the last few minutes drew forward for a several strides, his leg extensions mirroring Kai's, before settling back to let Kai move forward alone.

Kai grinned but it felt more like a grimace. He was afraid that if he opened his mouth too wide the roiling mess in his stomach that was sloshing with each step would come up.

He was wheezing when he finally closed the gap between the two groups. His breath burned his throat dry with each gasp and he was nearly positive that he would give everything he owned for a cup of water. He maintained the pace, hanging behind their flung back feet.

They rounded a corner, arms pulling their bodies through the change in momentum, and Kai found just enough kick left in him to draw alongside Mako. At first Mako didn't so much as glance at Kai, keeping his face trained forward on the path ahead, lips pressing together between short, efficient puffs of air. Eventually— Kai was certain it was because of the ridiculous racket he was making from having abandoned his breathing pattern awhile back— Mako glanced out of the corner of his eyes at the newcomer to the pack.

The surprise caused an irregular jump in his mechanical pace and he gaped before righting his face back into focus and reordering the rhythm of his stride.

"Kai," he gritted out of the side his mouth, using as little air as possible. "What the actual _fuck _are you doing?"

Kai could only try and suck in more air. Words were a luxury he couldn't afford with his body this close to the breaking point. He wasn't sure if he could explain what he was feeling anyways. How was he supposed to convey the depth of the pit widening and sinking into his stomach and the dread that spread with each beat of his pulse, creeping slowly but steadily through his brain, his chest, and up his throat until he felt as though he was going to retch it up all over the side of the trail?

He couldn't.

So he ran and Mako didn't say anything else. After the first hundred meters, his disapproval waned into silent respect that he conveyed with periodic sideways glances whenever the pace shifted. He wanted Kai to keep up. Kai just wasn't so sure that he could.

* * *

><p>"Where are they?"<p>

Korra craned her neck in an effort to see around the bend. They were situated right before the hill—Jinora called it the _mountain_— began, creeping up with a deceptively gradual incline until the sudden rise several hundred meters later that marked the beginning of the switch back. The course then curved around the base of the hill (_mountain_). A few other groups stood behind the two girls, but Korra had taken the initiative and shoved to the best position in order extend her neck as far is it would go in search of the first runners.

Jinora chewed on her lip nervously, tightening her fingers around the hard plastic of her sign. Seeing Kai so panicked for such a brief time before the race had left her restless. Waiting for them to come around the corner was driving her mad. She wasn't sure what he had been trying to say or why he had been trying to say it, or even if she was trying to say anything at all—but it didn't change the fact that she felt very, very pointless standing and doing absolutely nothing about it.

"Korra, when do they—"

"Jinora, look!"

The first group of leaders came out behind the shelter of the scraggly trees, setting the dust churning about their calves. The sound of their feet thudding in carefully precise unison made Jinora's skin prickle.

"That's, Bolin!"

Jinora immediately located his sturdy build between all the other slim runners. She cheered and clapped but it was half-hearted because she couldn't see the messy top of an undercut. Bolin's eyes were fixed forward and uncharacteristically serious as he pounded in tandem with the others. His face was flushed and Jinora could see the sharp rise and fall of his chest as he sucked in and let out air. Korra hooted loudly, gesticulating with her arms and creating more noise than Jinora thought any human _should _be capable of. He spared a side glance and his face lit with the slow spread of a familiar grin before running past.

"Mako isn't far behind then," Korra said, already beginning to crane her neck again with new enthusiasm. "They always finish within seconds of each other. Mako just likes to build up and Bolin stays steady the whole time."

Jinora hummed in acknowledgement, much more interested in another particular runner's pace. It wasn't that she didn't care about Mako and Bolin, but they hadn't just looked like microwaved death standing on the starting line. Suddenly, the thud of footsteps sounded again and she perked up. This group was a little larger—there were about five of them this time—but she could immediately zone in on the messy hair that was made messier still by sweat. Jinora yanked the sign up from the ground so quickly she almost hit herself in the face with it.

"Kai! Kai!"

She wasn't so much as cheering as she was yelling his name to get his attention. She wanted to make sure that he was ok, but the sensible part of her quipped that he wasn't exactly unoccupied. And yet she still had to know—

"Kai!"

At the sound of his name his head turned her way. She took in a quick breath when his eyes lit upon her. They were raw and wild as they blinked rapidly to clear away the sweat. The flush in his face seemed to have chased away the paleness that had been there before. He looked permanently blurred in motion. She thought if she had tried to touch him he would have flashed through her like wind.

At first his face registered blankness, then recognition. His mouth opened and his jaw worked like he was about to say something but had forgotten how to speak. The other runners began to outpace him from the lapse in pace he'd allowed and he must have sensed it because his head snapped forward again, abandoning anything he had been about to say. Jinora watched as he lunged with an especially large stride to regain the space lost and continued on with his pack. She didn't realize that she was holding her breath until he was nearly out of sight at the bend.

"Jinora!" She nearly leapt a foot in the air when Korra latched hold of her arm and shook it. "Jinora, that kid is fast! He was right up there with Mako! Granted, Mako will pick it up like he always does by the end, but _still_. That's pretty damn good for a freshman."

Jinora nodded, her eyes following the figures as they made the turn, vanishing from sight.

* * *

><p>When Kai finished, his legs folded beneath him almost instantly.<p>

One moment he was standing past the finish chute, every inch of his being pulsing and the next the grass was moving closer and he could feel the sickening drop in his stomach from the free fall.

A steady hand latched beneath his elbow and a shoulder was immediately shoved under his arm to support him. The sticky contact of skin against his was so surprising that he sagged, instinctively letting go of all feeble attempts to stand on his own. Everything was a mess of color and the urge to gag up the air he was breathing in too fast rose up his throat.

"Hey, there, Kai. You might have pushed it a little too hard."

Kai tried to laugh but his mouth tasted like it was stuffed to the brim with cotton. He felt his feet trailing on the ground as he was dragged away from the overflow of runners that were finishing. He blinked and sweat tumbled down from his eyelashes.

He registered that he was being laid down in the shade from the sudden change in lighting and the pressure of cold grass against his over-heated skin. His head was lowered down gently and he stared up, trying to blink away the blurriness.

Mako and Bolin stood above making sharp figures against the sky. They watched with their eyebrows knit and lips pressed into thin lines while examining Kai carefully with the same expression of guarded worry. Suddenly, Kai was struck by just how _similar _the two looked. For an instant they could have been twins instead of brothers. Bolin squatted down and the moment was over. Kai tried to shake his head as Bolin pressed a hand to his forehead.

"I can't tell if he's genuinely running some crazy temperature or if he's just hot from the race."

Mako lowered himself as well. He swatted Bolin's hand away from Kai's forehead. "Bolin, of course he's got a temperature. He just ran three miles way faster than he should have."

Kai tried to look remorseful under the reprimanding look Mako sent his way but he still didn't have total control of his facial muscles just yet.

"Well what do we do? What if there's something really wrong with him?"

Mako shifted nervously at Bolin's question. "I'll go tell Bumi. Maybe they have some sports med people around? They did give us a water rack."

"Wait!" Bolin leapt to his feet and Kai felt a little dizzy just watching him. "Korra is here! She did sports med in high school! She'll know what to do."

The way Bolin said "Korra" he might as well have been saying "premier doctor in how to make sure your teammate isn't actually dying". The way Mako scowled, he might as well have said "the ex-girlfriend you still can't look in the eye."

Either way, Mako straightened and dusted off his hands. "Alright, you find Korra and I'll find Bumi. One of them has to know what's going on."

Bolin glanced down at Kai nervously. "Well we can't just leave him alone like this. One of us has to stay and watch him."

"I'll watch him."

Mako and Bolin jumped at the voice of the newcomer but Kai had already closed his eyes. He recognized the voice. After all, he would have recognized the voice of his roommate anywhere.

"You're Skoochy, right?"

"Yeah."

Kai sensed the presence of a body lowering down beside him on the grass. He kept his eyes firmly closed as his blood began to pump like he was racing again.

"Make sure he doesn't freak out or anything while we're gone, alright?"

"No problem."

Kai thought there was a very large problem. A very large problem indeed.

* * *

><p><strong>AHHH this was so frustrating to write. I spent SO long just staring at the first section because no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't describe what a cross country meet truly feels like (every time it's this wild experience and obviously, I can't explain it). In the end, I just got frustrated and decided this was alright but I'm probably going to re-visit the meet setting soon to try my hand at it again.<strong>

**For anyone confused as to who Skoochy is, he is the kid that Mako paid in book one when he was looking for Bolin! i mentioned that he was Kai's roommate in an earlier chapter but it was very brief. There was also a Jinoochy ship that kind of sank when Kai came around!**

**Feel free to ask any questions about cross country meets in the reviews because I feel like this is really vague for anyone not familiar with them!**


	9. Aftermath

**I recommend re-reading the last chapter before this one to get back in it! It's been so long since an update and this is meant to be riding on last time's "suspense"**

* * *

><p>"Kai."<p>

He didn't open his eyes. He knew what he would see if he blinked away the blurriness. At least this way he could pretend in the muffled darkness that there really was no threat on the other side of his eyelids.

"Kai, please."

The voice had become pleading, trying to hide an undertone of guilt and the desire to make him understand. Kai wasn't quite ready to understand yet. Not with a brain of lead and a stomach of jello—never mind that he wouldn't ever _really _be ready to understand but there were times and places for moments like these.

"Skoochy, go away." He's said the words with all the tiredness of the world. The entire weight of what had happened had crashed over him, pressing every inch of his body into the ground like a huge weight. He felt like even if Mako and Bolin had come and tried to pick him up, they wouldn't have been able to. In fact, if someone so much as set a feather on his chest, he'd probably plummet through the crust of the earth.

"I didn't do it. I swear, Kai! I fucking swear!"

At that Kai let his eyes drift open. Skoochy was just a blur of tan skin and green but he tried to give him the best scathing look he could. "Save your excuses for when I'm coherent enough to care about them."

"Look, Shady Shin showed up and said he had a job for you. I said you weren't into that stuff anymore. I told him to leave you alone."

"And what happened then?" Kai's eyes focused on the sky behind Skoochy's head. The blue shimmered like the air above blacktop on a hot day.

"They gave me a pretty purple eye and a nose to match. Then we went on a field trip to guess where."

Kai stared into space for another few moments before looking back at Skoochy. "Skoochy. I think I need to throw up."

Skoochy left and Kai held back the bitter bile in his throat till a plastic bag was presented to him. He retched into it for a minute or so till his diaphragm was aching and his throat was burning with the acid that had scorched there. When he finished Skoochy took the bag away and dropped it with a splatter in one of the garbage cans. He came back a moment later and it was a bit easier for Kai focus on him.

"What do they want me to do?"

Skoochy shrugged. "I don't know. I was there and now I'm here. It all went down in about ten minutes."

"What am I going to do?"

Skoochy smiled bitterly with twisted lips and rueful eyes. "Whatever you can."

* * *

><p>"Korra!"<p>

Jinora jumped at the sudden below to the left. Jinora and Korra turned to see and arm shove through some people in the crowd. The arm made a small space and it was impossibly filled by the large presence of Bolin, leaving several bystanders disgruntled behind him. His eyes were wide with something other than excitement and Jinora felt her stomach plummet. She'd known that there had been something wrong during the race but she hadn't wanted to believe it.

"Korra," Bolin gasped, bracing his arms on his knees. "You gotta come help. Something is wrong with Kai."

Without a word Jinora took off in the direction Bolin had came from, suddenly finding nothing wrong with shoving people out of the way. It took a few panicked minutes pressed between bodies and hard elbows to make her way out of the crowd. The instant she broke free she was running across the hard surface of the track to the grassy field in the center where the team tents were. The blend of school colors on the lean up canopies made a mess that her eyes were moving over too quickly to sort out. She'd already gathered too much momentum to stop and ask for directions of all things.

She was running through the clusters of teams, jumping over stray bags and dodging runners still looking like they were about to topple over even though their race had finished nearly fifteen minutes ago. Her head snapped side to side and her eyes raked the area for a sign. It was ridiculous to be so worried because if something was really wrong there would have been paramedics or _something_ more noticeable. There was a feeling in her gut that insisted there was something very, very wrong. If Jinora had come to learn anything, it was that her instincts were almost always right.

In a split second she caught a low murmuring through the chatter of people and the pounding in her ears. Immediately, all her senses snapped to the sound. If someone was making that much of an effort to be quiet in the middle of all this chaos, something was wrong. She followed the voice to a red tent set another school over. She recognized Kai's roommate sitting cross-legged in the shade of the canopy and she was already moving before she fully registered the information.

She swung around the stacks of sports bags and tables surrounding the edges of the space to see someone—and it didn't much critical thinking to guess who—laid out with arms and legs outstretched amid piles of discarded warm-up sweats and jackets. She nearly slid when she took her first step on the slippery tarp but she stumbled and managed to drop to her knees in a somewhat controlled way. It took a split second for her to collect her bearings before she pressed the back of her hand to his forehead.

"Kai! Are you ok?"

He blinked groggily before tilting his head and squinting at her. "Jinora?"

His skin was ridiculously warm under her hand and still slick from sweat. She chewed her bottom lip and smoothed some hair off his forehead. "Kai, what's going on? What happened?"

"I ran."

His eyes shifted back and forth over her as if they were trying to focus. "Kai," she began slowly, "I'm asking why you are here on the ground."

"Oh. I ran too hard."

Jinora found it was very difficult to be frustrated with someone who looked like they're just been ran over by a truck.

"Kai!"

Jinora turned to see Bolin leading Korra through the tents. Jinora made space immediately for Korra to drop into. Korra impatiently shoved a runner blocking the way to the side before jogging over and kneeling next to Kai. She felt Kai's head quickly while Jinora and Bolin hovered. Jinora wondered if her bottom lip would ever be the same if she kept chomping on it like this.

"Get me some ice or cold water bottles," Korra said, sticking out an expectant hand while she continued studying Kai.

Jinora started to get up and then realized she had absolutely no idea where anything was. Bolin had already dashed off to the water rack to grab some of the green Gatorade bottles. He came back and thrust an armful of them to Korra. She gave him an exasperated look before laying them all to the side in a pile.

"Alright, we need to get these on his armpits, neck, and groin. Don't put them anywhere near his heart or he'll go into shock."

There were a few moments of silence as they all worked together to get Kai's body covered in the right places with the bottles. He protested whenever they put the cold plastic against his skin. If Jinora wasn't so worried, she would have laughed at how ridiculous he looked with the bottles making a kind of collar around his neck and clustered around his armpits.

"What's wrong with him?" she asked, trying to make the web of plastic more orderly and comfortable.

Kai made a face. "You know, I can hear you."

Korra ignored him and replied, "He's extremely overheated. He needs some liquids in his system. Make sure they have some salt in them so his sodium levels don't get diluted."

"You mean Gatorade?" Bolin asked.

Korra sent him a look. "Yes, Bolin. Gatorade would be just fine."

He stood and left to hunt for said Gatorade while Jinora and Korra turned back to focus on Kai.

"So what happened, Champ? You felt like nearly passing out today? I assume you know your own limits."

Kai scowled self-consciously and avoided Korra's eyes. "I didn't feel this bad when I was running. It just kind of happened."

Korra's lips drew up as if she were suppressing a smile. "Alright, Kid. Just be careful because I don't know what Jinora would do if you gave yourself a heart attack."

Jinora flushed and Korra whacked her arm good-naturedly before pushing herself to her feet. She threw her arms into the air and arched her back in a long stretch.

"I'm going to go find Mako and calm him down." She rolled her shoulders a few times before stepping over some bags to walk back out towards the track. "The races are finishing up so people will be coming back to the tent soon," she called over her shoulder. "Just stay like that for a bit, Kai, and you'll be fine."

Jinora looked back at Kai. His face had gone from flushed during the race to looking pale underneath his tan. It was slowly regaining his color and now his eyes could focus on her without drifting. She gulped when they locked on her, still raw and bright from the adrenaline.

"I'm sorry." he said finally. "I didn't mean to do that."

"Kai, did you seriously just apologize for almost needing an ambulance?"

He cracked a smile. "I'm glad you came though. It was nice to see you, even if I was a little preoccupied."

The feeling in the pit of her stomach twinged, reminding her that something her still wasn't resolved. "What was wrong? You seemed so upset that I was sure something horrible had happened."

His eyes grew vague and his eyebrows drew together for a nearly unnoticeable instant before the expression was gone and he was flashing a bright grin. "I always get like that before meets. It's nerve-wracking stuff, Jinora."

Jinora resisted the urge to narrow her eyes at him. She couldn't be sure if he was still just out of sorts or if that had been a deliberate masking of emotions. She decided not to push him and tried changing the subject.

"Your roommate left when we came over. I think we scared him off."

Kai's grin became a little more fixed. "Skoochy is like that. Lots of new people make him nervous."

"So I got you a blue one, a red one, and an orange one!" Jinora jumped and Kai started when Bolin jogged beneath the canopy brandishing Gatorade. A few other runners followed behind him, craning their necks in curiosity to get a good look at Kai. "Korra said you should take a salt pill if you start feeling woozy when you're drinking one," Bolin continued, kneeling down to start organizing the rainbow of sports drinks around Kai's head.

Kai seemed to suddenly deflate and fold in on himself—well, as much as he could already being laid out on the ground—as the runners crowded around him in interest. Jinora had to resist the urge to stand up and make an unnecessary shield.

"Kai, we heard you PRed by an entire minute!"

"That's insane!"

"How did you do it?"

Eventually, Jinora did stand when the runners coming closer and towering over her while still dripping sweat became too much. Bolin caught her eye and gave her a sympathetic look as Kai stammered out explanations to the growing group.

Bolin stood as well. "Jinora, let me walk you back to the concessions area. Coach Bumi might get angry if he sees a lady friend at the team tent."

Jinora smiled gratefully at Bolin even as she felt herself deflate the way Kai had. "Sounds good, Bolin."

"Jinora, wait!"

Jinora looked back down at Kai. His face was a mixture of confusion and apology surrounded by the neon colors of his teammates' racing flats. "I'm sorry this whole mess happened. I didn't mean it, honestly."

She smiled and gave him a last wave. "It's no problem, Kai. I'll see you later."

Jinora made her way with Bolin through the steadily filling walkways parallel to the tents. New runners fresh from their races were filling them and Bolin clapped a few on the shoulder. For some reason, Jinora couldn't shake off the vague sense of uneasiness that stayed with her from the instant Kai had left her for the starting line.

"Bolin," she asked as she sidestepped a harried looking man with a clipboard, "Was there something off about Kai today?"

Bolin shrugged. "We all have weird races. I'm sure he's just fine."

Jinora nodded slowly. She wasn't so sure.

* * *

><p><strong>Ok it has been a ridiculous period of time but I'm going to get this story together. The next chapter is written and lemme say I was very emotional whilst writing it. I need to fix it up before posting it so expect it maybe tomorrow or Tuesday night?<strong>

**Thank you for sticking with me and I am so sorry. Let me know how you feel about the hole Kai is digging himself into (poor boy)**


	10. Kitchen Heart to Heart

It took Kai exactly one week to admit to himself his tactical evasion of all people he didn't have the courage to face was not going very well.

After the meet he couldn't bring himself to stop by the bookstore. He knew that when she would look at him there would be a huge rush of guilt. He'd probably say something he wasn't supposed to—his mind to mouth filter wasn't always at its best around her even when there wasn't a dirty lie bouncing around his skull—and this time it would have much greater consequences.

It wasn't like she had seen Skoochy or Shady Shin but all it had taken was that one vague question from her at the meet– _what's wrong_— to have him scrambling to form some kind of reply that didn't reveal too much. Jinora had a very compelling quality about her—one that made it practically a crime to lie to her. On the ride back on the charter bus, Kai almost threw up again when he realized it had been the first time he had done it.

And if he saw her again, it probably wouldn't be the last.

But this lack of closure was driving him mad. Neither was he sure if he even _wanted _closure. He didn't know what it was supposed to mean. If it meant a mutual agreement to ending whatever they had been—_what had they even been_—this aggravating sense of unfulfillment would definitely be better in the long run. Better to remember that somehow, someway, he might have had a chance. A heart to heart with Jinora about why he was entirely inadequate for her was not top of his list of things he wanted to do. Ever. And yet still he was constantly compelled to walk under the tree he had found her in or just to stop by the humanities center on the off chance she was there. Somehow, the consequences that he knew would come were too much and there was too little he could truthfully say.

Skoochy was another problem entirely. It actually turned out to be very difficult avoiding someone you were living with. Skoochy had classes at strange times so Kai used the golden hours Skoochy spent in lectures to run in their cramped dorm, gobble down some food, grab whatever he needed for the day or night, and get the hell out of there. It was a good strategy but the lumpy couch in Mako and Bolin's dorm wasn't exactly ideal. He started getting cricks in his neck and the brothers were increasingly bewildered by the lengths he was going to in order to get in their dorm. One night they had been out, Kai had to scale the outside of the building to find their window. It wasn't very easy because all the windows were _practically identical. _

Kai was slowly becoming a mess. It was all futile, he knew that. If they really did have a job for him he'd have known by now. It was much more likely that they were still planning something and they'd wanted to give him a heads up so he'd be less surprised (or resistant) when the time came. That knowledge didn't help him but no way was he going to sit around waiting and pretending nothing was wrong.

That week he found that the regular cross country practices weren't enough to relieve the tension. There was electricity from unease vibrating in his body. He needed to let it out before it shook him to pieces. He started going on his own runs. They were usually at night a few hours before his last class. He'd set out off the campus, pounding up and down the concrete of Republic City with no guide except instinct and memory. If Bumi found out that he was running on surfaces like concrete extensively, Kai would be a tanned hide. It was nice to have the most rebellious part of his life be extra running. He wanted to cling to the feeling.

He would find himself in the seedier areas of the city where eyes watched him guardedly from sidewalks and doorways as if to say _you don't belong here_. _Not in those fancy workout clothes. Not if you're running for the pure fun of it._ As much as Kai wanted to believe them, the old ways he took through alleys and side streets were just as familiar and easy to find and so were the instincts when he heard shouting or swearing behind him. It was like riding a bike, he'd think bitterly on the runs, his shoes getting soaked in the rotting slush from the street gutters. You never really forget.

The eighth night of it, Mako had finally had enough. Kai stood up after lacing on his quickly deteriorating Nikes and Mako clamped a firm hand on his shoulder, pressing him back down into the chair. Kai groaned as Mako pulled another chair up with a screech across from him. Kai knew he had been pushing his luck and they'd ask him what this was all about sometime, but he'd been hoping that it would be later rather than sooner.

"So what's up, Champ?"

Mako used the name Korra called him at the meet and Kai scowled at the unpleasant, blurry memory. "Nothing's up. I'm just feeling kind of antsy."

Mako snorted and tilted his head, giving Kai an examining look. Kai couldn't help but wonder if Mako recently had lasers installed in his pupils. "Did you have a fight with your roommate?"

Kai shook his head no. Well, there was probably a fight coming but Mako didn't have to know that. "School is just getting kind of rough."

Mako nodded slowly, digesting this and obviously trying to figure out what it meant. "You having trouble with friends?"

"No."

"Trouble with theatre?"

"No."

"Trouble with girls?"

At that Kai stumbled over his words, not quite able to get the no out fast enough for it to be believable. His face heated and Mako's eyes gleamed at the discovery.

"Is it Jinora? Did you guys get in some kind of fight?"

Kai glared, shifting further back into the wooden kitchen chair. "No, of course not."

"Did she break up with you?"

"No," Kai snapped. "We weren't even dating."

Mako's eyebrows raised and he put his hands up, leaning back from the hostility Kai was projecting. "Look, I'm just trying to figure out what's up so I can help. Do you want any girl advice?"

Kai tried to casually put a hand on the table so he could drum his frustration out with his fingers. Mako's eyes followed the hand and Kai mentally swore. Nothing ever got by Mako. At least he hadn't hit on the real problem—let him believe the only mess to fix was Kai's love life. A week ago that had been true.

"It's complicated," he finally said.

Mako laughed and rested his hands on his knees. "Kai, Korra and I were the definition of complicated. I'll take anything you can shoot."

Suddenly he lost control of his tongue. "I'm here on need-based scholarship and she's here on merit-based scholarship."

Mako's eyes darkened when Kai let the knowledge that had been gnawing at his consciousness loose. It was instantly a relief to acknowledge what he had kept shoving away—even if the relief was accompanied by the hot rush of shame. He probably would have kept shoving it all away if Shady Shin hadn't popped up at the meet.

"Alright," Mako said, speaking slowly. "And what does that mean to you?"

"It means…" Kai faded off, not quite sure _what _it meant.

Mako crossed his arms. "You gave me a fact just now. The school records could have told me that. What is that information supposed to tell me about how you're feeling?"

Kai stared at the tile and for the second time that night words came out of his mouth without his consent. "It means she's better than me."

"Wrong."

Kai's eyes flashed to Mako who suddenly looked very fierce. "Kai, I don't want to hear that. Coming from the streets doesn't make you worth any more or less than any of the other students or anyone else for that matter. It's easy to feel that way, but you know what that is? That's self pity. You're better than that. If you think that way people are going to sense it on you and then they're really going to treat you like they're up on some pedestal. You can't put them on that pedestal, Kai."

When Mako finished Kai's eyes were far too wet to be comfortable and the shame seemed to have found its way to his throat. "Mako, I hate it. I hated it there."

Mako stood from his chair and pulled Kai up into a tight hug, crushing the air from his lungs. "We all did. We're out now."

Kai nodded when all he really wanted to do was shake his head in an emphatic and almost furious _no_.

Mako decided to go on the run with Kai. They didn't take the route through the slums Kai had been straying near. Instead, they ran around the campus parks under the old oaks planted by the founders of the school. Kai spent the whole time trying to figure out how to explain to Mako that he wasn't out yet and that he had a horrible feeling that he never would be.

* * *

><p><strong>So I scrapped the other chapter that made me emotional. It was too out of place with no build up. Have this Mako time instead!<strong>

**I might update this weekend? No promises but definitely the next one. **


	11. Storm

Jinora wasn't really sure what she had been expecting.

It wasn't like she had met him on some dating website or at some bar or a place where people met other people to become something. She hadn't even wanted to be a something with him. Or had she? It had been a week and half and at this point she really didn't know.

A few days had gone by after the meet and he hadn't replied to any of her texts. She'd only sent about three—although some ridiculous part of her had wanted to send more—and she'd just thought that maybe he had a test to study for or a paper to finish. But as the days crept by, her stomach began to turn uncomfortably every time she glanced at her blank phone screen. Finally, by the next Thursday, she was thoroughly and utterly convinced that, as Korra put it, she had been "played."

And a very not-Jinora-like part of her was feeling resentful. It was true they had only gone on one date and it was also true that she had kind of invited herself to his cross country meet, but didn't that merit a little more than a silent dismissal? She had thought so at least.

She sat in the book store, drumming the tip of her pen against the counter, not quite sure what she had been writing about before she had stopped. It was one of the rainy days in Republic City and anyone idiotic enough to venture outside became drenched in seconds. No one would be coming to the bookstore and Jinora couldn't help but think that it was a good thing. She needed the alone time in the cozy store. With the books around her, she felt more at home. She could make herself endless cups of tea from the plug in boiler in the back, and she'd piled up a pretty good stash of cookies for days like these. Besides, if she made the trip back to her dorm, Korra would ambush her with another elaborate plan of revenge.

She'd just remembered her train of thought and was about to start again on the paper when there was a knock on the door. She leapt about a foot off her stool because dammit if all Republic City was just fixated on pissing her off—

It was him.

He stood there outside the glass door, soaking wet with dark hair plastered to his skull. He was wearing running shorts and a sweat-wick t-shirt of all things that Jinora doubted was holding up well under the deluge of rain. His eyes seemed larger than usual and much more pleading as he knocked on the door again. Maybe it was the lack of bushy hair on the top of his head but his face seemed much more hollow.

She stared, not sure what she wanted to do. Part of her wanted to pull down the blinds and go back to her paper while the other part of her wanted to open the door and get him inside before he caught the worst cold of his life. She found that all she could do was stare.

"Can I come in?" The glass barrier dulled his voice and he knocked again, as if she hadn't gotten his point the first few times.

His words did have some kind of effect because she found herself yelling back, "The door is open, you idiot!"

The idiot came out more exasperated than pointed but he still winced and she still felt guilty as he let himself inside the store. It was his own fault for hauling himself out during the storm to make a clichéd and dramatic reappearance when the weather had been just fine the entire week before. The bell jingled and he dried his feet which was ridiculous because drying his feet wouldn't stop the water that was streaming off every inch of his body. She then conveniently realized his body was very visible in the soaking wet running gear. She gulped and he glanced up sheepishly.

"I'm here to buy a book." She blinked. His adam's apple bobbed. "I was wondering if you could give me a suggestion?"

Jinora sighed. "Look, Kai, you don't have to make an excuse to come in here. I'm not—"

"I'm sorry." He blurted.

Her throat went dry. "Sorry for what? You didn't do anything—"

"Exactly!" He took a step forward and then stopped as if he was remembering himself. "I mean, I should have done something. I should have replied or stopped by."

Jinora felt herself turning red at the idea of him opening her texts and just deciding not to reply. Of course she knew that was must have happened, but hearing him say it himself somehow made it much worse. She couldn't remember the last time she felt so mortified. "Alright, if you decided to drop by to see how embarrassed you could make me, I'm pretty sure you've reached the maximum. So if you'd be so kind as to find another book store to impose yourself upon—"

"Jinora, I—"

"Stop interrupting me!"

They both fell silent and Jinora cringed. "Ok, I didn't mean to yell, I swear. I'm just…" She faded off and his eyes grew pleading and she couldn't handle it. "Kai," she sighed. "Why didn't you reply? I felt like an idiot. Korra's been talking about hiding rotten eggs around your dorm. What was I supposed to think?"

I'm so sorry, Jinora. Some stuff happened and it's been making me kind of crazy and I know it's not a good excuse but I'm really, really sorry."

She ran a hand through her hair, trying not to listen to the mess of voices in her head that were either celebrating or screaming for retaliation.

"So why did you come when it was pouring rain? Don't tell me you ran here."

"Yeah, I did." He scuffed the edge of a rug with his running shoe and shrugged. "I figured you were too nice to leave me out there so you'd have to hear me out."

"Oh, so you were taking advantage of my forgiving personality?" His eyes shot up and his face became panicked until he realized there was a small smile was playing around the edges of her lips. He sagged with relief.

"Yeah, I guess I was. I had a good reason, though."

"And what's that?"

"I finished Candide awhile back. I need another book." He glanced down. "I also might really like you."

Jinora felt her cheeks heating. "Oh." Her voice sounded a few octaves about what it usually was. "Well, let me see what I can do about that book. I'll make us some tea."

He grinned. "Do you have the pink one from that place?"

"Don't push your luck. I really should still be angry at you. Part of me still is, you know."

He ducked his head abashed with another apology and Jinora smiled in spite of herself. She slipped into the back wondering what the hell she was doing. Although, most of her was far too excited about tea and cookies with Kai over books to care. She could be angry at him tomorrow.

* * *

><p><strong>Heyy there everyone. I bet you're all surprised to see that I've finally updated. <strong>

**I do have an excuse in that a lot of problems in my life have been worsening slowly but steadily and it all came to a climax about a month ago. Anyone who follows me on tumblr has probably seen the post I made about it but for those who haven't, worry not, I am recovering with professional help. **

**I'm starting to get my muse/ passion back so this may be updated more frequently depending on what kind of personal progress I'm making. Thank you very much for understanding and thank you for the support you all have given in reviews in favorites. There's no better feeling than knowing that my work is being appreciated. **

**See you all next time!**


	12. Plans

"What do you mean you forgave him?"

Jinora shrugged, studiously picking at the soggy bits of cereal in the bottom of her bowl. "I dunno."

There was a loud screech as Korra yanked a chair out from under the small table. She spun it around and dropped herself into it. It took all Jinora's considerable resolve to pretend she didn't feel the blue gaze drilling a hole through her head.

"This boy ignores you with no real explanation and you just turn right back around and let him—"

"I'm not letting him do anything, Korra. I'm deciding to give him another chance."

Korra let out a maniacal cackle of disbelief and Asami sighed from the doorway. "Korra, you remember freshman year. It was a mess. Maybe this kid was just having a hard time coping with classes and sports and he—"

"Asami, how could you be giving the kid an excuse after what he did!"

"Technically, he didn't _do _anything," Jinora muttered.

There was silence and Jinora snuck a glance up. Korra had leaned back in her chair, but she was still glowering. Asami came over from the door to rest a hand on Korra's shoulder and she finally sighed, releasing some of the tension from her shoulders. "I'm sorry, Jinora, I just promised Tenzin I'd take care of you. Boys can do a lot of damage."

Jinora risked a small smile. "I know, Korra. You just have to let me make some of my own decisions. Looking out for me doesn't mean trying to act like my dad."

Korra's face twisted. "You mean I'm acting like Tenzin right now?"

Asami snorted and Korra looked at her in horror. "Seriously?"

"Come on, Korra. We're going to go get breakfast and leave Jinora to her book." Jinora flashed Asami a grateful grin as she gently directed Korra to the door.

The last Jinora heard before the door closed with a soft click was "…it's not like I followed him that far!"

"I don't get it."

Kai glared up from the couch he was sprawled out on. "I can't explain it."

Bolin sighed and gave Mako a look that said 'cut the kid some slack' before turning back to Kai. "Mako just wants to know why you've been crashed out here for so long if you haven't had a fight with your roommate."

"It's not like I want to be here all the time—"the two brothers raised their eyebrows and he back-tracked, "—not that I'm not grateful, but I don't have a choice. I wish I could tell you guys but I just can't right now."

Bolin sighed and settled down where Kai's feet were on the couch. "I believe you, Kai. But you know you can tell us anything, right?"

Kai felt his throat tighten. "Yeah," he managed to get out. "Of course I do."

Mako's phone vibrated and he pulled it out of his pocket. His scowl lightened when he looked back up at Kai. "You patched things up with Jinora?"

Kai felt his face grow red. "Yeah."

Bolin whooped and Mako began dialing a number. He shot Kai one last contemplative look before beginning to speak. "Hello, I'd like three orders of your—"

Bolin thumped Kai on the back and he lost track of what Mako was saying. "You know you've done something good when Mako the penny pincher is willingly calling for take out."

Kai smiled and the tension in his gut loosened a bit.

"You know, I wouldn't mind running."

"You would if you started."

Jinora whacked his arm and popped another chip in her mouth. "I don't think I would. Korra has always been into it and so has my dad. They say it's like moving meditation."

Kai paused and considered the statement, drumming his fingers on the arm of his chair thoughtfully. "Well, it _can _be. A lot of the time you're just kind of hurting and sweating and wishing you were done. It's only fun about a quarter of the time but you get addicted." He looked back at her and stole her chip from her fingers, crunching on it triumphantly when she glared. "But let's go running sometime. Seriously. We can go through Kyoshi Park."

Jinora relented and offered him a smile. "I'd like that." There was a pause and they both looked down from the auditorium seats to the stage where Kai's lighting crew was figuring out cues with the actors. "But you know," she finally continued, "if I start running you'll have to start yoga."

He looked at her blankly. "What?"

A grin curled the edges of her lips up and she kept her eyes on the actors. "Ask Mako for the schedule. He comes on Thursdays for the sunrise session before your guys' practices."

Kai snorted and potato chips spewed from his mouth.

"Kai!"

He cringed as the dorm door swung shut behind him. He was immediately assailed by Skoochy who had come running from his room the second he'd heard the doorknob click. A quick glance around showed him the cumulating mess of clothes and wrappers scattered around the small living room and kitchenette from his absence. He wrinkled his nose in distaste and tried to ignore the incredulous presence of Skoochy invading his space.

"Kai, the hell have you been? I've tried calling you, texting you, showing up at your classes before you—"

"Yeah, I've noticed," Kai muttered, keeping his eyes on his feet as he walked further into the dorm, kicking aside a pair of old converse. "You haven't exactly been subtle."

Skoochy grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him hard, forcing his head to snap up. "Kai, you need to start paying attention. Ignoring it won't make it go away. They've been getting mad at me for not getting you to the meetings—"

Kai shrugged Skoochy's arms off and brushed past him into the kitchen. "So what? I'm done with them. They know that. I'm not going back."

Skoochy followed him, hovering just behind his shoulder, making Kai feel like he was trapped, stuck, confined— "Kai, you know you don't get to decide that. You got away last time because _they _were done with _you_. And now they're not so you need to think about—"

Kai spun around, braced his palms on Skoochy's shoulders and shoved him back. "They were done with me because I tore my ACL on one of their shit jobs. I couldn't handle their dirty work anymore and they left my foster family with my surgery bill. And now that I can run again they want me back? No thanks, man, tell them I'm not interested."

Skoochy shook his head, leaning against the cabinets he had fallen against. "You've been out of it too long. You forgot what it's like."

"Do you even hear yourself," Kai snapped, forcing himself to slow when spit flew from his mouth. "We were never that high up, Skoochy. It's not like we're the guys running it. If I don't give them a reason to keep looking for me then they'll let me go again. I shouldn't have even agreed to room with you after I got out. You're just trying to drag me back down again—"

Skoochy moved forward sharply like he was about to jump on him and Kai broke off abruptly, stumbling back and yanking both arms up in defense. They were both breathing hard as Skoochy looked him over, a kind of mocking look in his eyes. It was clear who would have won that fight because Kai had grown comfortable over the last year and along with it, soft. The knowledge wasn't exactly comforting.

Kai couldn't remember the last time he'd seen Skoochy furious. His dark eyes were lit like coals and Kai almost felt as if they were burning him. He'd seen Skoochy tired, defeated, and resigned often, but furious, not since the last job when—

"Good luck dealing with Shady Shin." Skoochy spun away sharply and stormed for the door, a whirlwind of messy black hair and hurt. "I'm not covering for you anymore. I hope this shit plan of yours goes well."

The door slammed shut with a shudder that shook the flimsy walls and Kai stood still, unable to undo the knots in his clenched muscles or stop the grinding of his teeth. Finally he sighed, trying to push the tension from the recesses of the cavity in his chest out of his body, and leaned his back against the fridge. He slid down to the cold tiled floor and rested his forehead on his knees, trying not to think.

"Are you alright?"

He looked up from his mug, quickly plastering a grin on his face. "Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"

Jinora frowned from where she stood by the counter and went back to checking her plug in oven to see if the potatoes were ready. "You have that look on your face you had before your race." He raised a questioning eyebrow and she sighed. "You know, the pale pinched one where you look like you're about to throw up?"

Kai cringed. "Oh, yeah. That one."

"So what's up?" She finally gave up on the oven and slid back into her seat. Her brow crinkled in concern as she watched him swirl the last dregs of his tea with a spoon. "Is anything going on?"

He shook his head. "I'm just tired, Jinora. I've got a lot on my plate. Things will get easier when cross country finishes and we get the design for the show down." He risked a glance up and she was nodding sympathetically, which only made the ache in his gut worse.

"Have you started Huck Finn yet?"

He couldn't help but smile. "Yeah, I actually did. You know, it's pretty good. He's funny."

"Who is?"

"Huck."

She grinned and rested her chin on the palm of her hand. "I thought you'd like him. I reread it a few weeks ago and he reminded me of you."

He leaned back in his chair and laughed, trying not to think about how many times Huck had already lied throughout the course of the book, because that couldn't be what she had meant. Or could it? "I can't decide if that's a compliment or not. But I think I'd like a raft and a river to drift down. It's nice when he tries to describe nature." Kai paused, trying to sort out his thoughts as Jinora inclined her head to show she was waiting. "You can tell he's a kid when he's trying to explain it. There was one part where he was talking about the night and he didn't know how to say what he was feeling so he just said he felt warm inside."

He stopped when he realized he hadn't exactly put it eloquently and looked up sheepishly. There was such a tender look on Jinora's face he felt his stomach flip and his heart thud in his throat. He wondered if she saw it beating there, driving him crazy.

"Yeah," she finally said softly. "It is nice"

"You know, I didn't read much before I came here? In high school, I mean. I think I was actually supposed to read Huck Finn junior year but I just spark noted it. And now I'm here reading it just for fun because you recommended it and I'm actually really enjoying it. It's weird.

She was opening her mouth to reply when the stove timer went off with a loud, shrill beep. They both started in their chairs and she laughed, getting up to take the potatoes out and set them on the plastic plates.

They had early dinner of baked potatoes with salt and pepper because it was all Jinora had in her dorm, and by the time Kai left, he felt warmth inside that had nothing to do with the food.

* * *

><p><strong>The support I got in the reviews was overwhelming. Thank you so much for taking the time to send me those messages and encourage me. I appreciate it so much and I can't even explain how much better it makes me feel. <strong>

**Thank you for sticking with this story as I get back into the flow of writing and everyday life. See you guys next time~**


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